Summertime Antics
by fairytaleprincess03
Summary: What happens when the Manoso kids break loose to play in Miami? Well, they're Carlos Manoso's kids. What could happen? Sequel to New Kind of Life
1. Fourth of July Fun

**AN: So here is the sequel. It's a little more kid based just to see what happens when the Manoso kids break loose on Vacation :-) Don't worry, Ranger and Steph are frequently in here! Hope everyone enjoys it. I did take some liberties w/ Army Rangers, but since it's Plumland it'll fit right in :-)**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_Fourth of July Fun_

Rachel smiled as Julie rushed around the house trying to take care of the last minute things. Carlos and the rest of the family were due to arrive any minute. They had decided to fly down to Miami for a few weeks. She knew Ranger was trying to get Stephanie a break. From what he said on the phone, she had a hard time dealing with Elise being in the Army Rangers. Rachel could only imagine he did as well, but he was better at hiding his worry. On top of the fact that that he had connections that could probably sneak him information to make sure she was still alive.

"Julie, the house is fine." Rachel said again.

"I know, I know, but they haven't been down in awhile." Julie muttered. She was hardly ever domestic, but this _was _Ranger's house. She felt that he deserved to come down to it being clean.

She was excited to see her dad again, as well as Stephanie and her siblings. She had seen them at Christmas, but hadn't been able to stay long.

The sound of a car door opening made her smile and hurry to the front door. Ranger and Stephanie got out of the front seats while CJ and Camille got out of the back. CJ was in college now, he looked so similar to their father that if someone didn't look close enough to see his eyes, they would have thought they were dealing with Ranger. CJ and Camille had both inherited Stephanie's blue eyes, which came as a contrast against their features that came from Ranger.

Julie smiled as she thought about Christmas. Cami had been teasing CJ about being a man-whore. According to Tank, he liked to charm ladies left and right. Cami was beautiful and her long wavy black hair just seemed to add to it. Julie could just imagine that Ranger was threatening every man who came through the door to try dating his youngest child. Julie's own hair was straight, like her father's, but was currently swept up in a high pony tail.

"Dad! Steph! Hi!" She called as she came out of the house. Cami squealed and ran forward. Julie caught her in a hug. "Hi, Cami!"

"I can't believe we're going to be here for three weeks!" Cami said excitedly. "Do you know any hot guys?"

"Yes, but seeing as how you're seventeen and most of them are well above that, Dad will probably kill and bury them all." Julie laughed.

"If he would just stop with that blank look of his!" Cami shook her head. "It scares guys off faster than we can blink! Mom had to make him stop."

"Mom had to sneak her out of the house so Cami could have one date." CJ chuckled as he came up to hug Julie.

Julie laughed. "That couldn't have ended well."

"It didn't." Stephanie came up sighing. "I found him and Tank and Lester all in one of the RangeMan SUVs with sniper rifles."

"I didn't do anything wrong." Ranger announced as he walked by carrying their bags. Ron greeted him at the door and took the bags from him.

"I should have called you when Julie started dating." Ron told him. Ranger chuckled as he went back for more bags.

Julie looked at Stephanie. She could see the sadness in her eyes that her oldest wasn't there. She hoped this vacation would do something to help. Inwardly, she was doing a snoopy dance knowing she had pulled something over everyone's eyes.

"So, I've invited some friends over for the barbeque. They couldn't get back to their families and I didn't want them to spend the fourth alone." Julie said smiling. "I had them all checked out by RangeMan if it makes anyone nervous."

"Oh, that's not necessary." Stephanie smiled as they walked into the house. She loved coming to visit. She and Ranger had brought the kids countless times as they grew up. Having the house one the beach was definitely a plus. "I'm glad you invited them."

…

Stephanie sighed as she lounged on the beach chair. Between work and home her life had been pretty fulfilling, she reflected. She loved all her children with ever piece of herself and felt herself fall in love with Ranger over and over throughout the years as she watched him with their kids. She had a wonderful picture of him and CJ wrestling around when CJ was big enough to take his dad. Ranger was still in magnificent shape, as was she, but CJ had definitely given Ranger a run for his money. In fact when it happened it had drawn the attention of everyone in RangeMan. She had heard there had been money changing hands over who was going to win.

She felt a swell of pride in her chest as she thought of her family. Yes, she was proud of all of them. She was sad that Elise had joined the Rangers, but she understood the need to be close to both her fathers. The last time she had spoken to Elise she had told Stephanie that her time was almost up and she wouldn't be doing anymore tours. But that had been before Thanksgiving. Elise hadn't been home for the holidays. They had heard from her once and it had been brief.

CJ was running around with Cami on the beach. Ranger and Ron were standing next to the grill laughing over something. Some of the Merry Men had shown up and were doing various activities. A Volleyball net was being set up on the beach. Stephanie let the sun warm her as she watched her large family run around. She smiled. Yes, this was definitely something they needed.

"Julie, we need the burgers!" Ranger called.

"Shit!" They heard from the inside. "Sorry, I called my friends! They have them with them! They should've been here by now."

Stephanie laughed as Ranger looked at her and smiled.

Cami paused and listened to something then shouted. "Julie it sounds like an army just pulled up to your drive way!"

Stephanie cocked her head and listened. Sure enough several doors were opening and slamming shut. Julie stepped out onto the large deck. "Yes…well…I may have made a call or two…"

"Hey!" A familiar voice shouted. "We're Army Rangers, not food delivery!"

Stephanie's head whipped around saw Elise standing at the far end of the yard. She was wearing a pair of aviator sunglasses and a dark blue tank top and shorts. A metal chain went under the shirt, and those that knew her knew they were dog tags that belonged to her birth father and Ranger. Her hands were planted on her hips with a smile sitting on her lips.

"Elise!" Stephanie cried out and ran forward to embrace her daughter.

"Hi, Mom." Elise laughed hugging her back.

Ranger came forward next. "Munchkin."

"Daddy!" She hugged him tightly. He didn't let go of her. Instead, he took her sunglasses off to look her in the eyes. He could see the hidden pain. He knew things that she would've seen. She knew what he was seeing. "Don't worry. I'm a survivor. I had my dads to make me brave and safe."

Ranger laughed lightly as he placed the sunglasses back on her nose. "If you need to talk…"

"I'd have to kill you." She teased. Ranger laughed and hugged her again, then whispered in her ear. "Serious, Munchkin. I've been there. If you need to talk."

She hugged back tightly. "I know, Daddy." She whispered.

"Elise!" Cami shrieked and ran to tackle her sister. Elise barely caught Cami before they both tumbled to the ground. "You're back! Can you help me sneak out on a date?"

"Sure." Elise laughed. She was laughing on the inside too. It was wonderful being home.

"Oh, my. Look at all the men you brought with you." Cami sat up staring at them like they were prime specimens. They shifted nervously.

"Cami, stop." Elise stood, smiling. Then she looked at her parents. "Sorry, once they realized where I was coming, they couldn't be stopped. They wanted to meet the famous Carlos Manoso."

Ranger looked at the men standing behind his daughter. Most of them looked awestruck. One of the men walked past and headed straight for Julie. He let out a low growl as he saw him place a hand on her waist. Julie turned and blushed lightly, then leaned up to kiss him.

"Dad, that's Alan." Elise supplied. "He's a great medic. Please don't kill him."

"Maim." Ranger said with a wolf grin. "Not kill. Maim."

"You can't do either." Rachel and Stephanie said together. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Take all the fun out of it." Ranger muttered snagging his wife and kissing her deeply. She sighed as she wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "Did you know this was happening?"

"No idea. Julie is getting too sneaky for her own good."

"It's a wonderful surprise." Stephanie smiled as she looked at her daughter. It was good to have her back. She looked back up at her husband, "Carlos, I think some men would like to worship you for awhile."

CJ wandered up to his sister. "Hey, sis." He hugged her. "How did they know who Dad was? I thought you went under Donahue to keep from having Dad's rep shoved at you?"

"They're snoops." Elise muttered. "They're worse than girls sometimes."

CJ laughed. "So, you up for some volleyball?"

"Bring it!" She laughed and ran off to the volleyball court with him. Several minutes later there was a full game in swing. Stephanie and Rachel sat together laughing and talking while they watched the game. Most of the guys that had come with Elise were in the game as well. There were still some that were over talking to Ranger. Stephanie loved that her husband could still inspire so much awe.

"Hey, little sister, where were you?" Julie yelled at one point in the game as she hit the ball.

Everyone was watching the game by this point if they weren't playing. They all heard Elise yell back, "Dancing with the Devil in Hell."

"Did you lead?"

One of the guys laughed. "When Rangerette dances with the Devil you bet she leads."

"Trevor!" Elise snapped. Julie hit the ground laughing. CJ and Cami followed suit.

"_Rangerette! _I love it!"

Elise sent Trevor an ugly look. He responded by grabbing her and kissing her senseless. The cheers and whistles broke through the two lovers. Elise staggered back and stared at him like he was lunch on a plate. Stephanie and Rachel shared a knowing look with one another while Ranger looked like he was looking for his nearest gun.

Night fell and they all settled back to watch the fireworks. A large bonfire was going strong. Stephanie was snuggled comfortably in Ranger's arms. Julie and Alan were whispering back and forth. Elise and Trevor were off talking. Stephanie watched them concerned. There were a few gestures. At one point Trevor walked a few feet from Elise, running his hands through his hair. He turned back to her and cupped her face in both hands. He kissed her softly then walked away.

Elise watched him for several minutes before turning to head back to the bonfire. She sat next to a couple guys. Alan looked at her. "He told you?"

Elise nodded.

"Do you have to leave?" Stephanie sat up. Ranger rubbed her back soothingly.

"What? No. Why would I?" Elise looked at her confused for a moment before shaking her head. "Oh, of course. I forgot. No. I'm done. They can ask if I want to, but it's up to me now."

"So we get you back for good?" Cami asked bouncing excitedly.

Elise laughed. "Yeah, you get me back."

"But not Trevor?" CJ asked leaning back on his hands.

"No, he's not done yet." She murmured. She let a blank look fall into place for a moment, then turned it to a relaxed one. "So, since we're here for the next few weeks, what do we plan to do to get into trouble?"

"Dude." CJ shook his head. "We're Carlos Manoso's kids. What could happen?"

There was a collective groan from everyone present.


	2. When the Parents Are Away

****

**AN: Hey everyone! Sorry for the lapse in updates! I work retail, so the holiday shopping just wore me out. This chapter was intended for a different turn, but the emotional start of it just seemed like it had to play out a bit. Hope y'all enjoy it!**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_When the Parents Are Away the Kids Will Play_

Cami came bounding down the stairs the next morning. To her it had been the _best _4th of July ever! Even if she hadn't had a date, she'd gotten to see her older sister again. Plus, she figured Elise would have some knowledge of how Dad worked since she had been in the Army Rangers too. That was her theory and she was sticking to it.

"Morning Julie!" She chirped brightly as she came into the kitchen. Julie waved at her. Cami paused by the fridge to study her sister. She was hunched over nursing a cup of coffee. Alan walked into the kitchen and leaned down to kiss Julie's shoulder.

"Where's Elise?" Cami asked. "I didn't see her go to her room last night."

"Elise…is…" Julie shrugged. "In the wind."

"What?" Cami's voice rose. "She just said last night she was done! How could she tell us that and then suddenly disappear! That's just so mean!"

Alan looked at Julie who was giving him a look that said to help her. He held up his hands and backed away. He quickly exited the beach house and took off for his run. He wasn't going to get into that mess.

"Cami, keep your voice down." CJ yawned as he shuffled past her. "You could wake the dead, which is Mom usually."

"Elise is gone again!"

"Cami, relax—" Julie started.

"No!" Cami shook her head. "I want Elise to come back! This isn't fair!"

"What is going on?"

All three of them looked at Ranger and Stephanie as they stepped into the dining room looking disheveled.

"Daddy, Elise is in the wind again!" Cami cried looking precariously close to tears.

"What?" Stephanie looked surprised. "I thought she was done."

"_She is._" Julie ground out rubbing her head. "Cami just won't let me explain."

"Fine. Explain." Cami said.

Julie sighed and looked at her littlest sister. "Elise deals with a lot of shit wherever they send her. She can't let her emotions get in the way of what her job is. They go on a back burner. It gets pent up. She used to stop here and lie low to regroup before she'd fly back to Trenton to be with you guys."

"Why can't she do that here?"

"Dad." Julie closed her eyes and rested her head on the counter. God she was exhausted. She had had a blast the previous day and the night had been spent with Alan. It had been so intense she wasn't sure she was going to recover any time soon.

"Cami, we're not exactly quiet." Ranger said gently. "Soldiers can come home on edge." He looked at Stephanie both of them remembering the first time Elise had come home from a mission. She had looked drained; both of them noticed when she stepped in the house. She had maintained a carefree, boisterous attitude with her brother and sister, but Ranger could see she was still on edge. That night, he'd seen how much she put on her back burner. CJ had been sneaking in from a date. He'd been careless and knocked over a large, priceless vase. The vase had been sitting outside Elise's room. She'd come out of her room gun at the ready. When they had gotten to her, Ranger could see her eyes unfocused and unsure of where she was. He'd had to bark at her like he would have to one of his men when he'd been in the service. It had snapped her out of it, and she realized where she was.

"Is that still bothering her?" Stephanie asked softly.

Julie lifted her head. "Not always. Usually she'll sleep it off in a night. Then you'd never know she'd gone to hell, as she puts it. There've been a few times where she's slept three or four days straight, but those are usually far between each other." She shrugged slightly. "She figured it was safer to go crash at—elsewhere for last night. She didn't think she'd need to be gone more than one night."

"Oh…" Cami tilted her head as she thought of what her dad and sister told her. It all made sense, sort of. She knew she really wouldn't understand because she wasn't a soldier and didn't plan to be one, but she could understand the need to decompress and be alone for a bit. "And I bet Trevor had something to do with that." She said out loud without realizing it.

Julie nodded and smiled. "Yeah, probably."

Cami came and sat across from Julie at the breakfast bar. "She's going to be hell to live with while he's gone, isn't she?"

"Yeah."

"Well, then we'll just have to snap her out of it!" Cami decided with a grin.

Ranger and Stephanie exchanged a concerned look. Things were never a good thing when their youngest got that determined look in her eye.

…

True to what Julie had said Elise only spent one night in the wind. When she arrived at her parents place later in the afternoon she felt refreshed. It was easier this way, she thought. She had a better sense of herself after allowing herself to go into her emotions on the whole thing. She was calm, collected and more herself. Her heart was squeezing painfully whenever she thought of Trevor. She had never been on the side where she waited for him to come home. It was unusual. He hadn't been gone twenty-four hours, but the antsy feeling was creeping around her. She wasn't sure she liked it.

"Elise!" CJ called over to her when he spotted her coming out of her jeep. She angled her head and walked over to where he was. She didn't know why he was on the side of the house.

Rounding the corner she found all three of her siblings there. Cami was bouncing up and down looking like she was about to burst from excitement. Julie and CJ were looking amused and mischievous.

"Mom and Dad are going to dinner tonight with Ron and Rachel." Cami said grinning. "So we're going to a bar!"

"Cami, you're not old enough." Julie chuckled.

"Not with my real ID." She said smugly. Reaching into her back pocket she pulled out an ID. The four of them crowded around to look at it.

"Damn! That's a really good fake!" CJ sounded impressed.

"I know!" Cami was proud of herself. "So, since we're all being legal…"

"I don't know, Cami…" CJ looked torn. On the one hand, this was his baby sister. He would do anything to protect her. He would do anything for Julie and Elise, but Cami was the baby. The other hand weighed the fact that she was his sister and it was bound to pull out some sibling confidentiality.

"Oh, please!" Cami whispered. "You snuck out way more times than I have when you were a teenager! At least I'm trying to do this with my family! Besides, Uncle Tank, Lester, Bobby, Seth, AJ…they all took you drinking. I don't get to have that kind of fun!"

"She's right." Elise said leaning against the wall of the house taking off her sunglasses. She took Cami's ID from her and looked at it. It _was _really good. "It'd be a shame for us not to put this ID to good use tonight."

The grin that Cami let off brought grins from the other three. Yeah. They were going to have a lot of fun tonight.

Elise let herself into the house to find Ranger and Stephanie waiting for her. "Um…hi?"

Stephanie laughed. "What? Are you sneaking in from a date?"

"Depends. Am I in trouble?"

"We're just checking on you." Stephanie smiled and hugged her. "Julie mentioned that you stop here first before heading home when you're finished with your missions. I wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm good." Elise shrugged. "Did what I had to, now I'm me again." She could see her parents searching her face. Finally she let her mask drop. "Alright, I'm not _as _good as I'd like to be, but it comes with the territory, right? Usually sleep is key for me, but I don't think I'm digging the fact that Trevor is out there and I'm…here. So the adjustment made for a rough night, but I finally got where I needed to be."

She blinked as she found herself incased in a hug from both her parents. One hugged her because she knew how it felt to not know if the person you loved was coming home or not. The other hugged her because he knew what she had gone through and knew that she would never forget what she'd seen. Elise's eyes filled and she felt herself shudder slightly from a repressed sob. The hug only got tighter, letting her know she was home and she was safe.

"So," Stephanie smiled when they broke apart, "What are all of you up to this evening?"

Elise gave a thoughtful look. "We're talking movies and pizza. A quiet night is in order after the loudness of yesterday. It could be fun."

"Pizza and movies are definitely fun." Stephanie nodded. "Now, where are you really going?"

"Pizza and movies." Elise repeated.

"Elise." Ranger tried hard to look serious.

She raised her eyebrows. "Dad."

"Answer your mother."

"I already did." She replied nonchalantly.

"With the truth."

Elise kept silent for several minutes then said. "I'm sorry, but I have to plead Sibling Confidentiality."

"Sibling Confidentiality?" Both repeated.

"Yup." She nodded as she walked away. Glancing over her shoulder she called, "You both have siblings. I'm sure you know what that entails."

Stephanie blinked for several minutes before turning to Ranger. "What the hell just happened?"

"I do believe we were told to mind our own business." Ranger said with a floored look.

"You know those four aren't up to any good if they won't spill." She said. Ranger leaned back against the couch and pulled his wife to him. He reached up, tucking a curl behind her ear. He kissed her thoroughly.

"No," He said, kissing her again, his hands roaming, "But there are trackers on all the cars in the driveway. We'll catch them."

Stephanie's eyes fluttered closed as she moaned, leaning forward to him. "_Carlos…_" With the realization that the kids could walk in any moment she got flustered and put a foot of distance between her and Ranger. She grinned wickedly at him. "You are a bad, bad man!"

"Yeah," He caught her and brought her to him. Whispering in her ear he said, "But it's one of the many reasons you love me."

"Perhaps." She kissed him lightly, then stepped out of his embrace. "And tag. You're it."

Ranger gave a wolf grin as his wife took off running from him toward their bedroom. In seconds he was running after her. They swung into the bedroom, the door getting kicked shut and locked. Stephanie laughed as he caught her and threw her onto the bed.

While they were loving one another as they had so many times over the years, their children were busy removing all the trackers on one of the SUVs.

…

Elise and Julie looked surprised as their littlest sister came out of her bedroom. If they didn't know better, they would've sworn Cami looked like she was in her twenties. Even CJ was looking surprised. Her blue eyes always contrasted against her skin, but her make up made her eyes stand out even more. Her wavy hair was curled up more than usual. She had on black jeans and a corset shirt that hugged her perfectly. Added to that were the FMP shoes she was wearing.

"What?" Cami laughed. "I can look hot."

"We know." Elise laughed. "Has Dad seen this side of you?"

"If he had, do you think he'd be letting her out of the house?" CJ asked. "I've got half a mind to lock her up for him."

Julie laughed. "You do that, we'll lock you up where you'll never be able to touch a woman again."

"And I'm an Army Ranger." Elise grinned evilly at him. "I can make it so you have no idea where you're at."

CJ paled at the thought of either threat. He was relatively certain they were only kidding. He hoped.

"Let's go!" Cami said grabbing her purse. She glanced back at her sisters. Elise was wearing jeans and a tank top with heeled boots. Her curly hair stopped just below her chin. You could hardly tell she had been in the army, Cami reflected. Julie was wearing jeans also, but with granny style boots that were mostly covered by the flare of her jeans. Like her sisters, she was wearing a tank. She also had a gun concealed on her leg. You just never knew.

And CJ…well, Cami was relatively certain they weren't coming home with him. She loved her brother, but she could see the man-whore he'd turn into when women were around.

Their drive was a relaxed silence. They had been able to sit comfortably with each other without talking for years. Occasionally they did it because they knew that it made Ranger and Stephanie nervous that they'd all be so quiet in the same room. Other times it was just nice to have the companionship of each other without talking.

The bar was busy, but comfortable. They gave the outside bouncer their IDs. The normally stoic man got slightly flustered when Cami flashed him a winning smile and thanked him warmly.

"Careful, Cami." CJ chuckled throwing an arm around her. "You're going to have every man in here drooling over you and buying your drinks."

"Really? That's awfully sweet of them!" Cami grinned.

"Yeah, but if you decide to get drunk, don't expect to wake up at the beach house." Julie laughed. "We're not letting you go back there drunk."

"I won't, I promise!"

They sat at a table and ordered their drinks. They were talking amiably, teasing each other and just enjoying each other's company. They had been there for about an hour when a voice said, "Well, well, well. What do we have here but the tribe of Manoso kids?"


	3. Old Feud, New Generation

**AN: Not mine, I just play. I hope everyone enjoys it! Thanks for the reviews, they're definitely encouraging! **

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_Old Feuds, New Generation_

JJ Morelli sauntered over to the table. Elise saw CJ visibly tense. CJ and JJ went to high school together, were in the same class, and even did a lot of the same sports. And had never actually liked each other. In fact the only thing Elise was sure they did agree on was that they both hated being called Junior. JJ was named after Joe and Elise wondered briefly what it was with men and naming their sons after themselves. Inwardly, she shook her head. If things went that far with Trevor, he was _not _naming their son after himself. A jolt of surprise went through her. Before she could reflect on it, she turned her attention back to the men.

Both men were players, all three of the women knew that. They had often gotten into fights at school, which usually resulted in Joe and Ranger having to go get them whenever they got suspended. Elise hoped, although she was aware that it was improbable, that they'd avoid getting physical in the bar.

"What do you want, Morelli?" CJ demanded.

"Just sayin' hi to old friends." He answered.

"What are you doing in Miami?" Cami asked. "Aren't you in the Navy?"

"I'm on leave." He turned and looked at her. A long, slow appraising look that had CJ balling his fists. "Cami, you've grown up real good."

Cami blushed. "Thanks."

"Think your sisters would let you come have a drink with me?" He asked playing with a lock of her hair.

"Sorry," She angled out of his reach. "But it's just us siblings tonight."

"I can't believe I never took the time to get to know you." JJ drawled, leaning closer.

"Get away from her Morelli." CJ growled.

"I'm not talking to you, CJ." He didn't use Manoso, because he knew he'd be talking to all of them.

Cami leaned back and cocked her head at him. "I know your rep, Morelli. Don't think for one instant you're getting into my pants."

JJ laughed quietly and said, "You couldn't resist me if I really put an effort into it."

CJ looked ready to pummel him. Julie put a hand on his arm and whispered, "CJ, let her defend herself. Keep your temper down." He glared at her but nodded. He knew Cami could defend herself.

"Trust me, you haven't got anything I want." Cami snapped out.

A bruise to his ego wasn't something JJ usually dealt with. "Prefer pussy do you?"

"Nope." Cami tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I prefer not to get an STD."

JJ leaned close to her so that his face was inches from hers. "Your mother couldn't resist my dad. What makes you think you'd do better?"

"Mom also ran over your dad with a Buick because he's a prick." Cami smiled sweetly. "I'll use an SUV and I'll make sure you've got more than a broken leg."

"Morelli, I think you need to leave." Elise said quietly.

"Only if you're leaving with me." JJ said looking at Cami.

"Nope."

"Get the hell out of here, Morelli." CJ growled.

JJ glared at him. "What? Can't handle the fact that your mom used to fuck my dad? If _Ranger _hadn't shown up, then she'd still be on his back under my dad."

CJ moved. The two of them went crashing down, fists flying. Cami shrieked, "CJ! Stop!"

Julie and Elise pulled Cami out of the way when the men rolled near her. They found themselves pushed to the back as other men moved to get involved. Cami found herself outside. She could only see fists flying. The sound of glass breaking had her heart pounding wildly. Elise and Julie weren't by her. She couldn't see where they'd gotten shoved to.

Flashing lights pulled up to the curb. Cami stood against the wall staring, unable to shake the shock of the events. She felt like she'd started the fight. Perhaps going to get a drink with JJ would have prevented it. Tears sprang to her eyes as she saw CJ and JJ being lead out of the bar in handcuffs.

"Hey, lil' lady." Someone drawled. "You look like you need something sugary."

Julie and Elise were talking to a couple of the officers. They were being booked, they were told. Destruction of public property at the very least. CJ could call whoever he wanted, and they knew from the look he was giving them, it would be one of them. No way was he calling his father about this. They found which station they were being taken to, and turned to find Cami chewing on something.

"You okay?" Julie asked when they reached her.

She swallowed. "I didn't mean to cause a fight."

"You didn't." Elise shook her head and hugged her. "JJ was provoking CJ on purpose."

"But if I'd…"

"If you'd gone to have a drink with him, CJ still would've reacted." Julie interrupted. They lead her to the SUV. "We've got to pick him up at the jail. He's bruised up but it doesn't look like he's bleeding badly enough to need stitches."

"Do we have to call mom and dad?"

"No!" Elise and Julie both cried.

"Oh…okay." Cami sat quietly it in the back seat for several minutes.

Elise glanced at her in the rearview mirror as she drove. She looked like she was trying not to bounce around. "Cami, are you really okay?"

"Yeah…yeah." Cami said. "It's just um….you guys are moving in circles."

"Too much to drink, little sister?" Julie asked with a grin.

"No, I only had two drinks, and they were small, but I bought a brownie from a guy outside the bar." She started bouncing around the backseat. "It was just I was so upset about CJ and JJ and I needed some sugar!"

"Brownie?" Julie squeaked.

Elise ran a hand over her face. "Fuck. We _really _can't go home. Not till she's calmed down."

"Agreed." Julie muttered.

Silence was carried on for several minutes. Finally Cami said, "Why are you so quiet?"

"We're thinking of ways to keep hidden when Dad finds out we let you get high." Julie muttered sinking down in her seat.

"You're both so quiet! Just like Daddy!" Cami leaned forward so she was in front with them. "Shhhh! Nobody talk!" She waved her hands in front of Elise's face.

"Cami, stop!"

"Nope! Not till you talk!"

"That's it." Elise pulled over. She reached into the console of the car and found a pair of handcuffs. Getting out she went to the back seat where Cami was currently bouncing. She grabbed Cami's hands and handcuffed her to the handle bar on the ceiling.

When she got back into the driver's seat Julie was looking back at Cami amused. "What made you decide to go that route?"

"Uncle Tank said Dad did it to Mom once when she was going after an FTA and a house blew up with lots of weed and she got high." Elise replied taking off again.

"I'm surprised you didn't taser her."

"It's in my purse if I change my mind."

…

They parked a block away from the police station deciding that they didn't need to bail one sibling out just to have the other get put in for being high, especially since the cops would have to call Ranger and Stephanie. They were locking the car doors and they heard Cami shouting, "Wait, you can't leave me! What if I suffocate! I don't want to die!"

Elise looked toward her purse briefly and shook her head. Too tempting. "So, how's Alan?"

"He's fine, why?" Julie asked.

Elise giggled. "Come on, sis, I've seen the way he looks at you. Dad looked like he wanted to bury Alan alive."

"God, Elise, he's…_intense._" Julie replied. "I don't know if I can keep up."

"You love him?"

"I think so. Do you love Trevor?"

"I think so."

"We're so screwed." Julie laughed as they walked into the station. They went to the front desk. "Hi, we here to bail our brother out."

"Name?"

"Carlos Manoso Jr."

The man pulled up the paperwork. Elise paid while Julie signed off. A cop came out leading CJ out of the back. She chuckled when she saw the grouchy expression on CJ's face. "What, did you two get put in the same cell?"

"No." CJ shouldered past his sisters and walked out. He looked for the car, not seeing it. When they joined him he asked, "Where the fuck is the car?"

"Come on." Elise said gripping the keys in her hand tightly.

"Why did you park out here?"

"You'll see." Julie sighed.

"Omigod! CJ you're alive!" Cami exclaimed when she saw him. "I thought someone was going to shank you!"

"Where did you learn that?" CJ asked mildly climbing in the backseat.

"I've heard it around school. CJ! Omigod! Are you going to have to go to the big house? Will you have to be someone's bitch?"

"What?" CJ lifted his head and looked at her. "What the hell are you on?"

"Oh I am _so hungry!_ We need to stop at a McDonalds!" She announced. "I need a Big Mac, a Quarter pounder, oh, and a double quarter pounder…" She continued to talk until she saw Elise cooperate and pull into the nearest McDonalds. After supplying their sister with everything she requested, plus a few needs for themselves, they started driving.

"CJ, if you have to become someone's bitch, I won't think less of you." Cami said as she ate one handedly. Elise had only allowed one of her arms freedom so she could eat. CJ saw Julie choke on a burger in front of him as she tried to muffle a snort of laughter.

"I'm not going to become someone's bitch. Fuck…"

"Oh, CJ," Cami reached over and patted his cheek. "It's okay!"

CJ slouched in his seat and rubbed face, wincing when he felt the bruises. He could already feel the throbbing of a black eye. "Cami, I am not going to the 'big house.' What did you two give her?"

"I bought a brownie!" She announced proudly.

"You…bought…a brownie." He said slowly, then gave a bark of laughter. "Brilliant. I can't wait to see who Dad kills first!"

Elise's phone sounded off. It was the batman theme song. All the kids had done it as a joke when they had discovered Stephanie had it as her ringtone for Ranger.

"Speak of the devil." CJ grinned.

"Hi, Dad." Elise said cheerfully.

"You're offline."

"Yep."

The silence was deafening. All four of them in the car wondered who would break first. Finally, Elise said, "Did you need something, Dad?"

"Elise!" Ranger barked using his 'dad' voice.

"Daddy! You'll never believe wh—" Cami was silenced by CJ shoving a Fish Filet Sandwich into her mouth.

"Never believe what?" He asked suspiciously.

"The beauty of the day." Julie said with sigh. "It's been so much fun. It'd be fun if we could stay on vacation forever."

They could practically hear Ranger grinding his teeth over the phone. Three of them shivered, knowing no matter what, when they got home they were in deep shit. It didn't matter if they were adults. One of them happily ate a burger.

"Okay, well, we'll talk to you later!" Elise said and hung up.

"OMIGOD! You hung up on dad!" Cami said with her eyes widening to the size of saucers.

"Yup."

"You never hang up on Ranger!"

"I didn't hang up on Ranger." Elise said calmly. "I hung up on Dad."

"We'd better head home." Julie finally sighed. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather not be tracked down by the entire RangeMan fleet here."

"I have to agree." CJ nodded. "And some aspirin wouldn't hurt."

Elise nodded and headed for home. The drive seemed to take very little edge off Cami who had eaten every burger they'd ordered for her, plus most of the fries. She was like a human vacuum. And she kept talking and bouncing. CJ was forced to restrain her when she pulled out lipstick to try and pretty him up for his future boyfriends in the slammer.

They pulled into the driveway. Cami was trying to get out of CJ's hold, but he wasn't letting her. Elise finally sighed and reached into her purse. A moment later and Cami gave a startled squeak and slumped down in the seat.

Julie laughed as she got out of the car. "You lasted a lot longer than I thought you would."

CJ took Cami in his arms when Elise released her from her handcuffs. "I can't believe you just tasered our sister."

"It might save our asses." Elise shrugged as they all faced the house. All the lights were on.

Oh boy.


	4. Third World Countries and the Devil

**AN: Thanks for the reviews everyone! I'm glad y'all got a kick out of the last chapter! I had a hard time not laughing while I wrote it! As usual, I don't own them, I just play!**

* * *

Chapter 4

_Third World Countries and the Devil_

She felt like she was walking into a battle. Her heart was racing, the adrenaline was pumping furiously. Her dog tags were burning. She was in trouble. She knew it. They all knew it, but they had to survive. They needed a good strategy. They could use Cami. She was the baby and all but had Ranger wrapped around her finger. It could work. They could say she was tired from the night and the previous day. Could it work?

"Okay. We have to come out of this alive." Elise muttered to them as they walked slowly toward the door.

"You sound like we're going into war."

"What do you think this is?"

"Um…"

"War." CJ grumbled shifting his sister in his arms. "Let's not mention I was in jail tonight."

"No? What should we say happened to your face? You walked into a door a few times?"

"Sounds good."

"CJ."

"Sis."

"CJ!"

"_Sis._"

"God, you sound like Dad."

"Yeah, but I'm not the one they call Rangerette." He shot back.

"I hate you." She growled.

"Yeah, yeah. All talk." He chuckled as Julie opened the door.

All three of them froze in the doorframe. Stephanie and Ranger were standing there, arms folded over their chests. Ranger was looking particularly furious. Stephanie had started looking furious but saw CJ's face and became the worried mother.

"CJ! What happened?" She asked hurrying over to her son.

"I hit a door." He muttered.

"All of you in the living room. Now!" Ranger barked.

Obediently they followed him. Julie paused on the way when she saw Alan sitting at a table clad in a tank and jeans. He was looking intently at the screen of his laptop, with glasses sitting on his nose. _Dios! _She thought, feeling herself warm up. He looked hot with those glasses…and the muscles… She nearly had an orgasm on the spot thinking of what he had done to her the previous night.

"Hi." She murmured sidling up to him real quick. She leaned to kiss him, but he pulled away.

"Sorry beautiful, I'm under orders not to touch you tonight." He replied.

"_What?_"

Alan shrugged. "Your sister petrifies me. I've seen what she can do in battle. Your father has promised to have me meet the devil if I touch you before he's done with all of you. I'm more terrified of pissing him off right now."

"You're kidding."

"Nope."

"Julie!" Ranger yelled.

She winced, then looked mischievously at Alan. Leaning down she bit his neck softly, then whispered, "Have I ever told you how sexy you look with those glasses on?" She left him there with a discomfort and wondered how long he'd last tonight before going against Ranger's orders.

Julie walked into the living room and saw Ranger pointing at the couch where Elise sat on one end, and CJ in the middle. Julie sighed and took her place beside CJ. Cami was still nestled in CJ's arms. She wondered if her brother was going to try to use their sister as a shield to diffuse their father.

Ranger sat down across from them. Resting his elbows on the arms of the chair, he drummed his fingers together as he looked at his children, all of them met him with the same blank, hard look he was throwing at them. He couldn't believe this! One of them was supposed to crack! CJ was too much like him to crack easily. Julie and Elise…well, Julie had been trained by RangeMan and had learned from him. Elise was a soldier, but he'd learned early on that she would eventually cave. At least to him and Stephanie she would. He'd seen her face off with teachers at school who had caved to her looks. Cami was like her mother and wore her heart out on her sleeve. But she was sleeping in CJ's arms right now.

Stephanie walked back into the room to find four people have a silent face off. Part of her wanted to laugh at the sight. She knew that Ranger would have his work cut out for him finding out what happened tonight. The mother in her worried about her children, but at the same time she understood their need to feel free from the tracers and feel like they were living their lives. She had gone to get the first aid kit to take care of CJ's bruises. There was a small cut on his forehead, and while it didn't look bad, she didn't want it to get infected.

Cami moaned and stretched in CJ's arms. She mumbled. "Timeizzit?"

"It's nearly one in the morning." Stephanie said. "Come on, sweetheart. I need to clean your brother's face."

Cami shot up in his lap. "Omigod! CJ did you become someone's bitch in the slammer?"

"Fucking A, Cami!" He ground out glaring at her.

"Jail." Stephanie said slowly raising her eyebrows.

"God…Cami winced and wrapped an arm around her stomach. "My tummy hurts. What did you guys let me eat?"

"The whole McDonald's menu." Julie muttered.

"Oh…oh…" Cami swallowed and looked like she wanted to be sick.

"Who wants to explain?" Ranger said softly.

All four became silent. Cami shifted over so she squeezed in beside CJ and Julie. Stephanie cleaned and bandaged the cut on CJ's forehead. Stephanie sat down in a chair next to Ranger. Ranger gripped the edges of the chair. "I want an explanation. Now."

"Sibling Confidentiality." All four of them said at once.

"I hope all of you are aware that I have enemies." Ranger said quietly. "Not only do I have enemies, your mother has enemies. On top of that, Elise, I'm sure you've made enemies. Going offline does not ensure your safety for me. You are _my _children. I expect your tracers to stay on so we can find you in case of an emergency. "

Four blank faces met him.

"Do I make myself clear?" He growled out.

"No." Cami snapped out suddenly surprising all of them. "If you'd just give me a little freedom I wouldn't have to ask them to sneak me into places!"

"Cami shut up!" CJ muttered.

"All I wanted to do was go have some fun so we went to a bar and…oops." Cami's eyes got wide and she shrank back into the couch when her father glared at all of them.

"You took her to a bar?"

"She had valid points." Elise replied.

"Cami…" Ranger looked at his daughter's outfit. "_What are you wearing?_"

"Oh, isn't it cute?" Cami grinned proud of herself.

"It really is." Stephanie nodded giving her a smile. "You did a wonderful job altogether! You've got a great eye for fashion!"

"**Babe."** Ranger stressed. "How are you not angry?"

"Carlos, I snuck into bars before I was 21. I'm not foolish enough to believe our children weren't going to do it. Besides, Cami does have great fashion sense." Stephanie shrugged.

"How could you let her leave the house in that?" Ranger looked at CJ, who had the decency to look uncomfortable this time.

"There was talk of third world countries." He pointed at Elise with a thumb. "She scares me."

"Not only did you turn your tracers off, you took your baby sister out to a bar, dressed way too old for herself I might add, and you come home looking like you got into a bar fight. Which I'm sure is what happened." Ranger fought to keep himself in his chair.

"I'm almost an adult, Daddy." Cami said. "Plus the fight wouldn't have happened if I'd just had a drink with JJ."

"JJ?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "Joe Morelli's kid? What is he doing in Miami?"

"We already told you, Cami, JJ was provoking CJ. It wouldn't have mattered." Julie sighed, not answering Stephanie.

"But still…"

"No buts, Cami. What he said was insulting to mom and our family." CJ snapped out, his anger fueling up again. "It didn't have anything to do with you. It had everything to do with Joe Morelli's unending infatuation with mom!" With that he got up and stormed out of the living room, not caring what happened.

"Girls, what happened?" Stephanie said quietly.

All of them shifted uncomfortably. Elise finally said, "CJ was letting Cami defend herself against JJ. He was trying to win Cami over, but she wasn't having any of it. We told him to leave. He said he was only going if Cami was going with him. CJ told him to get out of there. Then JJ provoked him by saying if Dad hadn't come into the picture…"

She trailed off not sure she wanted to finish that sentence. Julie picked it up for her. Julie's voice was quiet as she said, "JJ said if Dad wasn't in the picture you'd still be on your back under Joe."

Ranger looked in the direction his son had stormed out. He understood completely. He had responded to the insult of his mother by lashing out at the perpetrator. Ranger would have done the same. In fact there were times in the past where he had done the same.

"I see." Stephanie said after a moment, then shook her head. "How utterly insulting to believe I'd be on my back for any man other than your father."

The three girls groaned loudly. Stephanie looked over her shoulder and winked at her husband. His lips twitched up briefly. He sighed. "Girls, I love all of you, you're my children. I'd hate to lose any of you to something from my past."

"But I need some freedom!" Cami said stubbornly. "Elise joined the freaking Army to get some peace!"

Elise looked at her in shock. "I did what?"

"Isn't that why you joined the army?"

"No."

"Oh." Cami blinked. "God, that brownie must have done something to my brain."

"Brownie?" Ranger raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I bought a brownie from some guy outside the bar when JJ and CJ got arrested." Cami shrugged. "I needed some sugar, but it was really weird."

"I'll bet." Ranger muttered looking at the ceiling. His youngest daughter had spent part of the night higher than a kite. That was just terrific.

"Carlos," Stephanie murmured looking off in the direction CJ had gone.

"I'll talk to him." Ranger stood and kissed her lightly. Before he left he said, "Cami, you'd better make plans for being confined to a tower if you're going to keep dressing like that." Elise snickered. "Elise, if your brother ends up in a third world country, you're going to find yourself in one as well."

She narrowed her eyes. "You'd have to find me first."

"Don't think I can't." He left the room.

Stephanie sat down across from them. "Cami, I can't believe you got high." She sighed.

"Elise handcuffed me to the handle in the car." Cami replied.

"You were a driving hazard." Elise shot back. "You were going to make me crash!"

"Are we still in trouble?" Cami asked Stephanie.

She let out a small breath. "I don't think so. But for the next couple days, everything that happens all of us go as family. No ifs ands or buts!"

…

He'd gone into the gym below the house. He hit the punching bag as hard as he could with his bare hands. He could still hear JJ's words floating around in his head. He hated hearing those words. The fact that JJ had tried to get into Cami's pants was bad enough. He had stepped back because Julie had been right. Cami could and would defend herself, despite what the over protective brother inside him said.

JJ hadn't always been bad, CJ reflected briefly through his angry punching. They'd gotten along in elementary school when Joe had been married to JJ's mother. They had divorced when they were in third grade and the rumor through the burg was because Joe had never truly gotten over Stephanie. JJ's mother had died of cancer a year later and Joe had full custody of his son. Perhaps that's when things started going downhill.

When they were in high school, it seemed to be an unspoken competition over girls between them. They did their best to ignore each other for the most part, but occasionally there was a girl they were both interested in at the same time. Things would get really bad whenever Stephanie's name would get involved. By the time they were pulled apart, Ranger and Joe were already pulling up to the school. CJ couldn't remember them actually having a conversation with each other, but he could remember there being unpleasant looks between the two men. He could also remember the iron grip Ranger would have on his shoulder leading him out of the school.

The anger seeped out with every punch. Finally he sagged against a wall, dripping with sweat. He glanced at the clock, it was close to two now. He was surprised he'd been down there for so long. Sitting on the floor, he rolled his head around a bit then saw Ranger leaning against the door watching him.

"Feel better?" Ranger asked walking over to him. He sat next to him.

CJ shrugged. "It's always been about Mom. The fights." He knew he'd never admitted to Ranger why they'd fought. They'd just let everyone think it was over a girl. "It could start out about a girl, but he'd say something about Mom and that was it."

"I figured." When CJ looked surprised he chuckled. "CJ, you're usually pretty calm. Your mother is your mother. You want to protect her. I wanted to protect my mother too, even knowing she could defend herself and had my dad."

"I can't tell if he's jealous or hates Mom."

"Who knows." Ranger said. "Joe hated me for a long time. Probably still does. I imagine JJ has been pretty well brainwashed by Joe. Let's just hope you two don't follow Joe's and my footsteps all the way."

"Cami told him she'd run him over with an SUV and make sure he had more than a broken leg if he touched her." CJ laughed.

Ranger let out a good solid laugh. "That's my girl."

…

Julie lay back in bed sighing. She was surprised that Ranger hadn't shipped any of them off. Not that he could with three of them. He could've put Cami in a convent, she surmised. In fact, there was probably a good chance he was thinking of that.

Her door opened quietly. Propping herself up on her elbows, she raised an eyebrow as Alan locked the door and crept over to the bed.

"Aren't you afraid of meeting the devil if Dad finds out you're in here?" Julie teased.

Alan chuckled softly, slipping out of clothes. He crawled under the covers and quickly helped her dispose of her pajamas. In a quick, deep thrust he'd buried himself in her. She let out a delighted gasp at the feel of him.

"If I can spend tonight in heaven, I'll meet the devil with a grin on my face." Alan smiled as he kissed her deeply while they moved.


	5. Jaguar

**AN: I don't own them, I just play. Hope everyone enjoys the chapter! Thanks for the reviews. Y'all are fantastic!**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_Jaguar_

The air horn sounded off in the house. There were shrieks of startled sleepers. Thuds from those falling out of bed. Elise was out of her room, gun in one hand and knife in the other. Julie shot out of her own wearing a sheet. Cami and CJ were both out of their rooms as well. CJ was trying to hold up a wall while trying to see as clearly as he could with a black eye. Cami looked like she had been dragged through battle.

Ranger stood in the middle of the hall with a smug look. Slowly he lowered the air horn. They glared at him. "It's 6:45. You have fifteen minutes to get down to the gym."

"We're on vacation." Cami said.

"Not today you're not." Ranger replied. "Today all of you are training."

"But…that's not fair!"

"You have twelve minutes to get down to the gym. Do not make me come back up here." He turned and left them standing there. He paused before heading toward his own room. "Alan, you're expected there too."

"Yes sir." Alan called from inside Julie's room.

She turned to glare at him. "Suck up."

"He's a legend, love. I'd rather hear the stories than become one." He answered.

"Do you think all of us could take him?" CJ asked. "We could tie him down and make a run for it."

"We'd have to get him down first." Cami said.

"That's easy. Taser him." Elise replied.

…

Ranger was feeling mighty pleased with himself as he walked into his bedroom. Stephanie was sitting up in bed looking groggy and none too pleased with him. "Was that really necessary, Carlos?"

"Yep." He leaned down and kissed her. "You're expected down there also."

"Excuse me? I didn't turn off my tracers and get into a bar fight."

"No, but I know you're going to help _our _daughter dress like that more." He tossed some clothes to her. "I'm simply discouraging it."

"Really?" Stephanie's eyes narrowed. She leaned back, letting the sheet fall off her. "I guess you're just simply discouraging ever getting sex again then, hmm?" She stretched her arms above her head and watched his eyes darken. "Just think, you'll have to sleep next to me, feel my warm body against yours. How will it feel knowing you're not going to get to bury yourself deep in your wife?"

He swallowed. Shit. That had been an unexpected turn. He walked over to her and leaned down, inches away from her lips. "Perhaps you could meet us down there in a few hours?"

She laughed. "I think that's a very good idea."

"Me too." Ranger growled and kissed her.

When he made his way down to the gym a few minutes later he found Tank, RJ, Lester, Seth, Bobby and Alex waiting for him with his children being held like prisoners in front of them. At their feet were rope and a taser gun.

"Boss," Lester was trying not to laugh. "Mutiny was afoot."

Ranger raised an eyebrow. "Did you think it would work?"

"As a team effort it would have." Elise replied. "We didn't count on the Uncles being called in. An oversight, which won't happen again."

The Uncles were all trying to maintain straight faces. They were willing to give the kids credit for the thought of what they were going to do. Their own families were at their beach houses waiting for news. They'd heard what happened and all knew that Ranger was less than pleased with his children.

"Sneak attack would've been best." Julie grumbled.

"Could've waited outside their bedroom." CJ reflected.

"Mom would've gotten involved." Cami sighed. "Then it would've gotten ugly. She might've tasered us. The gym was the best angle. Dad can't force Mom down here. We would have had the best shot down here. Can you imagine trying to drag Dad down the hall?"

Even Ranger had to suppress a smile. Despite being their intended victim it was endearing to see his kids working together. Made him proud to be their father.

Tank was laughing hard. "Yeah, they're definitely your kids, Ranger. God, I can't wait to tell Lula. She'll laugh her ass off."

"Alright, that's enough." Ranger said.

The training began. He had all his kids working in different areas. He had Tank working with CJ. After last night, he was pretty sure there might be some lingering anger. He wanted to make sure there was someone who would help CJ work it out. He knew there had to be another outlet. His son was hotheaded when it came to his family. Ranger understood that. Over the years, he'd discovered he could be more hotheaded. But in his mind it was justified.

Elise was running hard a treadmill. He could tell if he left her alone long enough she would start going on autopilot with her workout. She had been eight when she asked Ranger and Stephanie to train her to defend herself. It had taken some time because they weren't sure entirely how to train an eight year old, but when they found a good way, they saw how much she would push herself. They had also put her in gymnastics, finding she enjoyed being able to tumble around. She had gone through gymnastics for a long time, right up until she graduated high school. He knew he didn't have to direct her in her workout. He could see the unfocused look in her eyes and knew she was probably working through thoughts of past missions. Or coming up with another plan to take him down.

Julie and Alan were both on stationary bikes. They were working up a strong sweat. Ranger wasn't going to admit it out loud soon, but he liked Alan. He was a good man, and when he'd used some of his security clearance to look him up in the government he found he was a good soldier. Like Elise, his time was up and he had chosen not to renew. Ranger had every intention of talking to him about being part of RangeMan. He was loyal, he could tell that much. Despite his threat, Alan had still gone to Julie last night.

Cami was standing on her hands and slowly pushing herself up and down on the mat. Like Elise, she had done gymnastics for several years. Ranger knew any moment she would start flipping across the mats. He sent RJ and Lester over to her to have them help with different self defense tactics. He understood his youngest child's desire to feel like she could live her life. He was willing to give it to her, providing she could defend herself adequately enough. Everything he had done over the years before he and Stephanie had even met had given him a sense of freedom. He had craved it. Then he had met Stephanie and craved her. He would help his daughter get some sort of freedom. He wasn't willing to pull the tracers off her car. She was his baby. They all were. He had to keep them safe. Or as safe as he could without putting them in a tower. At that thought, he repressed a shudder. He had a feeling a mutiny would have definitely risen up against him at that one.

The next several hours had all of them in the gym. They all took different angles at different times. Eventually Stephanie had made her way down to the gym and did a good solid workout herself. Because Alan and Elise had been in the army together, they sparred with each other, earning a pause from everyone else to watch. Alan wasn't necessarily as built as the men Ranger had served with, but he was muscled and he did keep Elise on her toes. She was smaller than he was and used it to her advantage. They both knew how each other worked, but Alan knew Elise _always _had a trick or two up her sleeve. It was why she had been a good soldier and leader. She could use anything she had to get the job done.

Taunts were thrown back and forth at each other, neither really rising to the bait. They were circling each other. Elise had a lazy look on her face while Alan was attempting to study her. Alan knew Trevor liked to spark anger out of her when they sparred together. He knew how to do it though, Alan reflected briefly.

Everything around them seemed to fade out. He had a thought, one that could get him killed potentially, but it was worth a shot. "How's Cortez, Donahue?"

"Eating shit for all I care." She shot back.

"Weren't too aware of your surroundings that time were you?" Cortez was a sore subject for Elise. He knew that, and knew that there was a strong chance this could go really bad. But he kept pushing. "How'd it feel having that tiger claw ripping through your skin?"

"What's a tiger claw?" Cami whispered to Tank.

"Three bladed knife." He replied. "Pretty deadly if you get too close to the person wielding it."

"Treading dangerous ground, buddy." Elise said softly. Her eyes had dilated. He wasn't dealing with Elise anymore. He was dealing with a soldier who had been caught in an attack they weren't supposed to be part of. It had taken four men to hold her down so he could stitch her up as well as he could before they could get to a medical facility they needed.

"He recognized you." Alan kept going. "Knew exactly who you were."

"Ranger, man, do you think we should stop them?" Lester asked.

"No. I think she's going to take him down." Ranger replied.

Elise kept circling. She was studying him. They had called her Jaguar for a reason. She didn't chase. She stalked and ambushed her prey. Alan was relatively pleased that there were no weapons their hands.

"What's the matter, _Jaguar_?" Her eyes hardened. Her stance stilled. She looked almost statuesque. "Didn't like that someone stalked you back?"

The move was fast that any who hadn't been watching would never have believed it happened. Alan felt his feet out from under him, he was pinned down, her knee was planted firmly against his neck. She pressed down enough to make him stop moving.

"Uncle." He gasped out.

The pressure was gone. He stayed down studying her as she watched him. Her eyes softened and she held out a hand. "That was dirty."

"Yeah." He laughed slightly. "I was trying to win."

Elise grinned. "How'd that work for you?"

"I'm going to be talking to Trevor when he gets home. I'm hoping for some pointers." He said as he stood. "I think he's the only one who _can _beat you."

"That's what he likes to think." She laughed.

Elise glanced around and found them being watched. "Can I help you?"

"Wow." Lester shook his head. "The only person I've seen take someone down that fast is Ranger."

"Elise…did someone really use a tiger claw on you?" Cami asked biting her lip.

Elise was silent for a moment, then picked up her shirt. They could see the three scars running from the front of her stomach to her back. Cami walked up and hugged her. "I'm sorry he did that to you."

"It's okay." Elise smiled. "He didn't expect me to fight back."

Alan shook his head. "You didn't fight back. You fed him his balls."

"Yeah...well…too bad I didn't kill him." She sighed then looked at Ranger. "Are we done for the day?"

"Nope." He grinned. All of the kids groaned. "You're going to RangeMan for the rest of the day. Go shower and change. All black."

…

Elise was sitting in the kitchen waiting for everyone to reappear. Absently, her hand went to her side. She shook her head. The scars were fading. It was going to take some time, but the memory of the action would never leave her. Pity.

"Munchkin." Ranger walked in and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. "You okay?"

"Yup."

"Cortez got a good one on you, from the sounds of it."

Elise snorted. "It would've been fine if we were supposed to be there. We were en route to somewhere else. We stumbled into a gang war. Cortez thought I was with the other gang." She rolled her eyes. "Stupid fuck didn't realize I would fight back. I couldn't kill him." She shrugged. "It wasn't what I was there to do, all I could do was get away to get back with my men. Alan stitched me up as well as he could, but we were too far from the medical facilities we needed. They're not bad now, the scars. They're fading. He did a good job considering it took four men to hold me down so he could get the stitches in."

"Memory doesn't fade, does it?" He leaned against the counter watching her.

"No, but since I'm out, I find it unlikely that I'll see him ever again. I won't be sent back there for anything."

"Elise," Stephanie walked into the kitchen, "This was in the mail for you."

She took the large manila envelope from her mother. There was no return address. Frowning she opened it and pulled out a single sheet of paper. She flipped it over and saw the sketch staring back at her. She let out a shuddering breath at the sight of it. It was a beach, a tropical beach with palm trees. The black and white sketch caught all the details. The moon had been full that night, she recalled. They'd been in Caribbean, on a quick leave. They'd danced in the moonlight. The water lapped lazily around their ankles. He had caught both of them perfectly. There was a look of peace on her face, one that she normally didn't let people see. Her head was resting against his chest, his strong arms, holding her tightly to him. She'd been in a sundress that seemed to hug her perfectly. Their feet were bare.

"Trev…" She whispered, her eyes filling with tears. Every detail of them was perfect, but she expected no less. Trevor was a wonderful artist. It had been there that they'd admitted their feelings for one another. Her heart squeezed in her chest. She could only imagine where he was. But he'd gotten her that picture. Trevor wasn't always good at talking about his feelings, but he had his way of showing them. He had shown her his love in this sketch.

Laying the sketch down carefully she looked up at her parents. "So, when do we leave? Can I go to the shooting range?"

"Nope. You're doing searches all day." Ranger grinned at the sour look she shot him.

"Fine." Elise muttered as she stalked away.

Stephanie picked up the sketch. "Carlos, look at how much in love she is with him."

"I see it." Ranger said wrapping his arms around her. "He's got a reason to come home. We'll just have to keep her busy until he does."


	6. SATs and Quality Time

**AN: So, after a quick reread over the story so far, I realized I wanted to give all the kids a little focus of their own, not just Elise. I decided to look at Cami for a bit in this chapter. In a few chapters it will be CJ and Julie separately, but for the moment it was CAmi's turn. Also, in regards to the SAT scores in the chapter, I went with the new scoring which goes to 2400 instead of 1600 the way it used to. Hope everyone enjoys! Thanks for the reviews so far!**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

_SATs and Quality Time_

Cami floated on her back in the pool. Her body _ached_. The last few days Ranger had kept his children busy with either training or work at RangeMan. She had tried using the fact that he didn't hire anyone under eighteen on him, but he simply informed her that he was the boss and could adjust the rules as he saw fit. What he didn't know was that she finished the work he gave her really fast and spent time spying on others at RangeMan. Computers were just easy to her. She understood their complexity and could maneuver through the codes that locked people out. Realistically, she knew hacking into a system was illegal, but she got _bored_ waiting for the end of the day. She knew Silvio knew what she had done because she had inadvertently locked him out of his computer. He was impressed and promised not to tell Ranger.

Silvio had recommended that she consider studying computer science in college when she went. The thought intrigued her. She was really good at it and most people wouldn't expect her to be so good at something as complex as the inner workings of a computer. Most of the people back home thought she was just a chipper spoiled little princess.

Kicking back lazily across the pool she rolled her eyes. They weren't Carlos Manoso's kids. They didn't know that her parents made sure she could defend herself, that they'd disciplined her. She was raised with a lot of love, but was also very aware of the world around her. She knew her father and sister had seen some horrible things in the Army. She knew her mother had dealt with some bad things when she was younger. She knew Julie had been kidnapped by a psychopath trying to become Ranger.

Tears of frustration hit her eyes and she ducked her head under water to get rid of them. She knew she was a lot like Stephanie and wore her heart on her sleeve, but she knew her mother was really smart. She didn't want to admit to her parents she had a tough time making friends at school. There were a lot of kids who wanted to know what she could do for them. There were a few, a small few, who actually chose to get to know her.

The lump in her throat throbbed so painfully that she was forced to sit on the edge of the pool and give herself a few minutes of a pity party. As far as she knew everyone was still in bed. If anyone asked about the red rimmed eyes she would have in a bit, she could claim it was from the pool.

"Okay." She finally said to herself out loud. "You're done. No reason to give yourself a pity party. You're strong. People who don't like you very much can kiss your ass." With that she thrust herself into the water, very much unaware that her brother was coming up from a run and had heard her.

By the time the house was fully awake, CJ was watching his sister contemplatively. He had seen her crying and watched her shrug it off. Now she was the bouncy carefree self she let everyone see. He wondered how often they missed the pain she was hiding. Perhaps it had been too easy to miss. Their age differences were larger than most siblings. Julie had sixteen years on Cami as the oldest. He got the feeling that Cami's only real friends happened to be the three of them.

"Morning!" Julie called out. "I've got mail! Cami, you've got a letter of high importance according to Grandpa Frank."

Cami took the envelope from her and stared at it. It was her SAT scores. She wasn't sure she wanted to look at them, but if she was going to study computer science in school then surely she'd have to have a good idea of what her scores were, right? She knew her parents could afford to send her to school, but the idea of her getting a scholarship was nice. She hadn't even started her senior year and she was already looking forward to it being over.

Finally, she turned the envelope over and opened it. She picked up a glass of juice and started drinking it as she looked down at the scores.

And promptly started choking on said juice.

CJ reached over and slapped her on the back. Cami didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were glued to the paper, looking at it widely.

"Cami, what is it?" Stephanie asked looking at her concerned. "Bad news?"

"My SAT scores." She whispered, eyes still glued to the paper.

Leaning over her shoulder, CJ looked at the scores. "Holy fuck, Cami!"

"What?" Elise looked over at them. "What'd she get?"

"A 2350." CJ looked blown away.

"Out of…?"

"2400."

"Shit, Cami!" Elise grinned at her. "Way to go!"

"Sweetheart!" Stephanie hugged her tightly. "I am so proud of you!"

Ranger shuffled his wife out of the way to hug her next. "Great job, little girl!" He kissed her on top of her head. He plucked the paper out of her hands. "We have to frame this."

Cami still looked like she was in shock. Julie grinned at her. "Want me to go buy you a brownie?"

Elise started laughing. "I'm not sure that would cure her right now."

"We have to celebrate tonight!" Stephanie decided hugging Cami again. "We'll have a beach party. How's that sound?"

Cami simply nodded. Shock was an understatement as far as she was concerned. CJ noticed and leaned over to whisper, "If people can't like you, they can kiss your ass."

That snapped her out of it. She shot him a look of pure surprise that he'd heard what she said earlier. Then he winked. He wasn't talking. A small sigh escaped her. Thank goodness.

The beach party was under way in a matter of hours. Cami wasn't sure if she should be pleased or embarrassed with the way her parents were showing off her SAT scores. Maybe pleasantly embarrassed would work, she thought.

She had to laugh and return hugs of congratulations as she passed the members of her extended family. Most of them were Merry Men or Merry Men 2.0 but they were all her uncles. Their wives (with the exception of Alex and RJ who were lovers) were like aunts and their kids like cousins. When she thought about it, her jag this morning was a little off. She got along with all her 'cousins'. Probably because they all had the same problem she did.

"2350 is mighty high." Silvio hugged her with one arm. They stood away from everyone. "Did you give anymore thought to what we talked about?"

"Yes. I think I might." Cami smiled at her uncle. "It does give me an edge people don't expect, you know?"

"And edge of what?" Ranger asked sidling up to them.

Cami let out a surprised screech and glared at her father. He chuckled. "Gotta be more aware of your surroundings, kiddo."

"Ranger, you're not gonna believe this." Silvio smiled at Cami.

"Uncle Silvio! You promised!"

"I know, sweetie, but your SAT scores trumps it."

"Not going to believe what?" Ranger asked suspiciously.

"Your daughter hacked through our system the other day."

"What?"

Silvio nodded, laughing. "She locked me out of my computer. She got through your highest securities on our system. I'm trying to convince her to study computer science when she goes to college."

Ranger's lips tugged upward. "Little girl, I don't recall telling you to do that."

Cami shrugged and grinned. "I got bored when I finished all those searches. They were too easy."

Ranger let out a good laugh and hugged her. "Silvio is right. Computer science would be a good place to put you. Maybe you could build a better security for the system when you're done."

"Really?" Cami seemed to light up at the idea of working at RangeMan in that capacity.

"Yep, but only if you really want to." He chuckled when she gave a delighted shriek and hugged him tightly then bounded off.

"Dad." CJ came up to them. "Does Cami bring friends home?"

"Occasionally, not often though. Why?"

"Just curious."

"Why, CJ?" Ranger turned and gave him his full attention. The look on CJ's face said he wasn't going to betray his sister's confidence. He really had to give his kids credit. When someone asked for their confidence, they gave it and they didn't break it.

CJ wandered off leaving Ranger and Silvio watching the crowd.

"Your kids are all deceptive." Silvio chuckled. "You'd never guess Elise is in the Army just looking at her, just like you'd never guess Cami could hack through a computer's security system. Until I'd seen it for myself, I'd never peg Julie for someone who could calmly shoot someone then go for pizza after."

"And CJ?"

Silvio shook his head. "Ranger, that boy is you all over. People don't know what to expect from you, and they really don't know what to expect from him. The only ones who might are your girls. You and Steph have raised some great kids. You've got to be proud."

"Oh, I am." He grinned watching all four of his kids. The swell of pride in his chest was so big he thought it might just burst out.

…

The next morning Ranger groggily made his way out of bed. He went to the bathroom, did his morning duties and changed into workout clothes. When he went to bedroom door he pulled the handle.

Nothing happened.

He pulled it again. Still nothing. The door wouldn't budge. Not even an inch. He tried yanking it as hard as he could. What the fuck was going on? He wondered.

"Babe."

Stephanie rolled over and mumbled something incoherent, pulling a pillow over his head.

"_Babe._"

"What?" She finally growled from under a pillow.

"I can't get the door open."

"Did you lock it?"

"No."

"Then turn the handle and pull." He could see her rolling her eyes under the pillow.

"I am!"

Sighing Stephanie dragged herself out of bed and walked over. She smirked at her husband. "See, you just grip it and pull."

Nothing.

Now it was her turn to stare at the door. Ranger smirked at her. "You were saying?"

"Bite me."

"I did. Several times last night if you remember correctly." Even after all these years, he could still make her blush. It was one of the most endearing things he loved about her.

"Maybe one of the windows?" She suggested. They went around the room trying all the windows. Nothing worked. It seemed as though someone had locked them securely in their own bedroom.

Ranger's phone went off. Picking it up his eyebrows rose at the text. "Babe."

"Hm?"

"_Your _children have grounded us."

"Our children?"

"No, they're yours right now."

"Oh, I don't think so mister!" Stephanie walked over to her phone as it was going off. She read the text and repressed the urge to laugh. "_Your _children are punishing you for the last few days of slave driving as they call it. _My _children are just allowing me to have quality time with my husband."

"I'm calling Tank and Lester."

"Carlos."

"What?"

"I think you should take advantage of my quality time with my husband." Stephanie leaned back on the bed and grinned at him. She crooked her finger. His wolf grin came out as he stalked toward her shedding his clothes.


	7. Trouble

**AN: I'm sorry it's taken so long to update guys! I hit a bit of a lull trying to figure out what was supposed to happen next. Thanks for the awesome reviews y'all have left so far! Hopefully you enjoy this chapter also!**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_Trouble_

Silvio looked at the two men carefully. It had been a long time since he'd seen either of them. The two generals sat across from him displaying the same blank look he was holding toward them. The only one who would actually surpass their level of intimidation with a blank look was Ranger.

"Gentlemen, I'm sure you'll understand if I speak to the CEO first. Something this large would obviously need his approval." Silvio was stalling for time. He knew it and they knew it.

"I'm under the impression he is currently here in Miami with his family. Perhaps you could contact him while we're out to lunch." One of the generals, General Diggory, said frostily. "We've given you all we require if RangeMan can take this. When we return we expect an answer."

Silvio watched them leave the office. Letting out a sigh he leaned back and looked at the ceiling. This was going to be fun. Ranger wasn't going to like this one bit.

"Hey, Uncle Silvio." Julie leaned against the door. "What's with the Army showing up?"

"Nothing I can talk about, Jules, sorry." He gave an apologetic grin. "You going to be with your dad in a bit?"

"Yeah, we're all going out for lunch."

"Ask him to come up when you're done. There are some things I need to discuss with him."

"Anything I can tell him about it?"

"Just that he's not going to like it."

…

Elise was staring at the newest piece of mail in her hands. Another sketch from Trevor. This one was of her in army pants and a dark tank top. She was wearing her aviator glasses. In one hand her dog tags were twined around her fingers. She was sitting up in a tree. A mischievous smile was playing at the corner of her lips. She recognized the background from one of their last missions. They'd been in the jungle. Their mission had been complete and they'd been waiting on their ride out of there. It amazed Elise how much Trevor simply watched her. He practically put her observation skills to shame.

"Munchkin." Ranger greeted as he picked up the mail beside her to flip through it.

"Dad…" her voice drifted off briefly. "Dad I think something is wrong."

"With what?"

"With Trevor." She showed him the sketch. "He shouldn't be able to send this to me. I know where he's at and to send this to me is suicidal."

Ranger looked at the sketch. It was a damned good depiction of his daughter. "Want me to make a couple calls?"

She shook her head. "No. I have someone I'll call in a bit. Most people don't know about Trevor and me. Better to keep as few people in the know on that as possible."

"And you're sure he didn't send these before he left?"

"Yes." She picked up the envelope it came in. "It's also addressed to me as Donahue."

"You enlisted as Donahue."

"Yeah, but Trev wouldn't send me anything under Donahue. He'd send it under Manoso." Elise sighed and rubbed her face with her hands and muttered, "Dog tags are burning. Trouble's coming."

Ranger watched her for a moment. He knew her dog tags were her version of a spidey sense. He wouldn't complain since they had proven to be just that time and time again. Hopefully his contacts would have some information for him. Elise was worried which was enough for him to reach out to his contacts, whether she asked him to or not.

"Alright! Who's ready to eat?" Stephanie said with a grin as she came into view with Cami and CJ behind her.

"Food sounds great!" Elise smiled and all sense of worry had disappeared on her. Ranger grinned and kissed his wife, following his daughter's lead on not alerting the family to anything. It was just as well, he thought.

A horn outside let them know Julie was waiting for them. They left and piled into the SUV with her. "Dad, Silvio wants you to come to the office after lunch. He said he had something he had to discuss with you."

"Did he say what?"

"All he said was that you wouldn't like it."

That told Ranger more than it didn't. It was government related.

Julie kept talking. "I imagine it has to do with the generals coming out of his office before I left. One of them looked absolutely pissed off. I'm guessing Silvio said something he didn't like."

"So does that mean we're going to RangeMan after lunch?" Cami asked excitedly.

"Only if you don't try hacking through my system again." Ranger teased.

"Sheesh, you're no fun!" His youngest retorted.

CJ was already making plans to find his way down to the shooting range when they got there. Elise could use that time to call her contact. Stephanie would borrow an empty office to call some of her businesses to make sure things were continuing to run smoothly.

Lunch was animated as usual. They chose a buffet where they could all get something they liked. Ranger had a salad and looked at his kids' meals with distaste. They all grinned at each other knowingly and all took large bites taking turns moaning with delight.

"You're all real funny." Ranger glared at them.

"We try." CJ chuckled. He was half expecting Ranger to dish out some form of punishment for gluing their door and windows shut on their bedroom. He thought it was pretty clever of them to do it that way. Cami had bought industrial strength super glue and when their parents weren't around they'd snuck to the bedroom and glued the windows shut. After they'd gone to bed, they'd gotten the door.

Their day had been fun. They'd gone to the beach during the day and a Cuban club at night. They had had a lot of fun dancing and spending time with each other. Alan and Julie had done a few slow dances with each other. Cami had danced with several men as did Elise, while CJ had been busy charming ladies left and right.

When they returned home they found their parents had broken out of their room. Of course a sledge hammer and Lester and RJ had been involved but that was more irrelevant as far as they were concerned. Their uncles were looking extremely amused with them, while their father was eyeing them like he was trying to figure out what exactly he could do that would _really _punish them.

The fact that he hadn't done anything in four days was a bit disconcerting. All four of the siblings were trying to decide if he was plotting or if Stephanie had convinced him to leave them alone. So far they were going with plotting.

By the time lunch was finished they all ended up back at RangeMan relatively fast.

Silvio looked at Ranger and almost sighed with relief when he saw him. "Ranger, Generals Diggory and Dillon have been here to see you. They want RangeMan to take a very high case."

"You could've made that decision without me." Ranger said raising an eyebrow.

"Actually, when you look over the specifics I think you'll be glad I called you."

Eyes narrowing at him, he took the folder from Silvio and opened it. He scanned all the information and felt himself freeze at the end of it. Silvio noticed the still movement and nodded. "Yeah."

"Good, you're here."

Both men looked up at General Dillon and General Diggory. Ranger recognized both of them. Dillon had always been a good man. He'd enjoyed working with him. Diggory…not so much.

"It's been a long time, gentlemen." Ranger acknowledged.

Dillon nodded and held his hand out. Diggory was looking to the side. Before anyone could comment on what had caught the other general's attention, he barked. "Donahue!"

Elise looked up from her phone. Her blank face came on as she walked calmly down the corridor toward Silvio's office. "General Diggory."

He looked her up and down. "Your memory seems to be intact."

"It's called traumatic amnesia for a reason." She replied coolly.

"Bullshit." He snapped.

"Elise. You're looking good." General Dillon looked at her and smiled. Her head inclined toward him. Her eyes warmed briefly in greeting which he knew he was going to get while Diggory was here.

"Elise, I think you need to look at this." Ranger said handing her the folder.

The room was silent as they all watched Elise look over the contents. None of them missed the visible shudder that tore through her body. She looked up at the generals.

"Elise, you're the only one who has gotten close enough to really understand Cortez." Dillon said softly. "We want to enlist RangeMan because of the military personnel that come to work here, but we need _you _at the forefront getting the Intel needed."

"I'm retired." She said flatly.

Diggory gave her a cold smile and handed another folder to her. "Incentive for you to do this."

She looked at the folder. When she saw what it was she dropped it on Silvio's desk. "No."

"No?" Diggory gave her an angry look. "I would've thought you'd want your boyfriend out of the service."

"Baiting me with his contract isn't going to make me work with you." Elise said, her voice going cold. She flipped through the folder holding the information on Cortex. "If I agree to this, I want my men."

"Out of the question." Diggory shook his head. "You'd have the resources you need at RangeMan."

"No deal." Elise put the folder on the desk and walked out of the office.

"Manoso, talk to your daughter."

Silvio hid the grin that was threatening to come to his face as Ranger said as coolly as his daughter, "I believe she's already told you the stipulations."

Dillon glared at Diggory. "Stop being an ass." He got up and followed Elise. "Donahue."

She paused and looked at him. "I tried calling you."

"Phone's off. What did you need?"

"I'm worried about Trevor."

Dillon looked surprised. "Why? His mission was over a week ago. He said was leaving to find you."

"But…" Her voice trailed off and they found themselves running back to Silvio's office. Dillon had his phone out and was dialing quickly.

Elise was glaring at Diggory. "My men. I want them yesterday!"

"I'm on it." Dillon assured her.

"Dillon, she can have all the other men she wants—"

"Listen well, Diggory, I'm saying this once." Elise snarled as she got in his face. "You want me to find Cortez for you then you will give me the men I had with me when I dealt with him. If you want this to go down at all _my men_ will be the ones who help." Her heart was racing. The dog tags were searing her skin but she wasn't backing down yet. "You seem to think I can catch him, then you'll play my way or you can get your ass out of RangeMan and I'll be more than happy to help kick it out!"

Diggory glared at her for a long moment. "Fine."

Dillon was off the phone moments later. "Elise, they'll be here tonight." He stood and motioned for Diggory. "We'll stay in town if you need our help. Just keep us as apprised as you can."

Diggory wasted no time hustling out of RangeMan. Dillon looked back at her. "Elise, this is going to be harder than anything you've faced if we're both in agreement that Cortez has Trevor. Like I said before, you're the only one who has gotten close enough to Cortez before. Can you keep your focus, soldier?"

Elise raised her chin and gave him a blank look. He gave a brief laugh and walked away muttering something like, "just like her father…"

Silvio looked at Ranger and Elise before leaving them alone. Ranger looked at his daughter quietly for several minutes. "Elise. Can you do this?"

"I have to." She said softly. Her body shuddered again.

"The Cortez in the folder…is he the same one who gave you those scars?"

She nodded. "We didn't stumble into a gang war. We went up against a drug Cartel. Cortez is…fuck…" She rubbed her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you too much."

"I know. Classified."

"No." She turned and met her father's eyes. "Because I don't remember."


	8. Legends and New Guys

**AN: I hope everyone is still enjoying the story. I haven't had very many reviews lately so I'm wondering if people are still enjoying it. I see a lot of traffic so that's hopeful I think. Anyway, for those that have reviewed, thanks! I don't own JE characters, just the ones I created.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_Legends and New Guys_

Ranger looked at Elise. "You don't remember?"

She nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. "Yeah. The doctors in DC said it was traumatic amnesia." Sitting down she pulled herself into a ball and looked at him. "I've got bits and pieces of it, but Alan said I took a hit to the head right before we reached our destination. I know the basics of the operation from what the men have told me. Dipshit and Dillon—"

"Elise."

"Sorry. Diggory and Dillon figure I'll have the best luck getting to him." She shrugged. "I'm not sure how much of that's true since I can't remember, but I won't help them without my men. They'll be the best for this."

"And you think Cortez has Trevor?"

Elise nodded. "Yeah. Dillon said Trevor's mission was over a week ago. He was coming to see me. For him to not contact either of us is unusual. Trev would let me know if there was a family emergency."

Ranger came and sat next to her on the couch. "RangeMan will help you if you need it, Munchkin. As soldier to soldier, are you sure you can do this?"

"I have to, Daddy." She whispered. When she looked at him he saw the fear in her eyes. "If Cortez has Trevor, I can't leave him to whatever might happen."

…

Night came. Elise stood on the runway watching as five soldiers walked toward her from the plane. A slow grin came to her face. The fear that had formed in her stomach melted away into something dangerous. Something feral. The feel of the hunt was beginning to surge through her. There was a reason she was called Jaguar. Patience was a beautiful thing for her when it came to stalking her target. Her men were the best.

On the far right was Randall, or Randy. He was muscle. She knew he could rival her father and her uncles in size. Perhaps that was one of things that had drawn her attention to him. He reminded her of Uncle Tank.

Billy Georgeson was on his left. If Elise didn't know better she would swear he was another version of Lester. All good looks and smooth words which drew women to him like flies to honey. He was also a smart ass.

Victor was next to him. Truthfully, all of them were good looking. Elise had a small feeling she knew what her mother felt like whenever she had worked with the men at RangeMan. It had also been cause for several remarks about her relationship with her men. The boys didn't take kindly to those remarks. That just made her love them more. They were her brothers. Victor was amazing with a computer. She decided she'd introduce him to Cami. They would get along.

Darren and Kyle came next. Darren was a little shy when it came to women. It was endearing and more than once Elise had made the men leave him alone. Of course, they didn't always go out with her, so she knew there were plenty of times when Darren had been subjected to whatever "lessons" they thought he needed. Kyle was usually the one to cause the lessons if Billy wasn't available.

"Hey, Captain." Billy smiled winningly at her. "I hear we're back in action. Care to share the plan?"

Elise grinned again. The men knew this grin. It was when she was beginning to hunt.

…

They drove back to RangeMan silently. Elise had taken Ranger up on his offer to help with the search. She knew it meant that Ranger would be involved. Not only because he was the head of RangeMan and the government had contracted this mission out to them, but also because she was his daughter and he was going to keep an eye on her after her admission that she couldn't remember what happened with Cortez.

What did surprise her was when she walked into the conference room to find not only Ranger, but Tank, Lester, Bobby, Ram and Cal. Alan was already waiting for them. She glanced back at her guys. Billy looked like he was drooling. He had harassed Elise repeatedly over the past to let him meet her father. There was a bit of hero worship going on from Billy's end.

"Elise." Ranger nodded his head to her.

"Dude…" Billy whispered to Randy.

"Shut up." Randy growled trying not to laugh. They took their seats at the table. "Alright, Rangerette, spill. Why'd Dillon yank all of us from our locations and send us here?"

"Not that we're complaining," Billy said leaning back. "Lots of women…"

"Georgeson…" Elise rolled her eyes.

"What?"

"Think with your dick later." She looked at all her men. They gave her their full attention. Finally she said, "Cortez is back."

The silence in the room was deafening. A pin could have dropped and everyone would have heard the noise. Randy was shaking his head. "Diggory sent for you, didn't he?"

"Wait, that's not fucking possible." Billy said glaring at her.

"Oh, it's possible." Elise replied. "And it wasn't just Diggory. Dillon came too."

"They can't—your medical on that—"

"Is clearly irrelevant." She said firmly. "What Dillon and I do agree on is that he has Trevor."

"Oh fuck." Kyle grinned. "Jaguar is coming out to play with a vengeance, isn't she?"

"No." Elise shook her head. "We're just going to find him and hand him back to the government."

"That's not a good idea." Alan said speculatively. "We've done that once and clearly it didn't work."

"Captain. I have a question." Billy said raising his hand.

"No, you cannot meet my father if we live through this." Elise replied automatically as she looked through the folder. The men laughed. It had become a common routine between the two of them once Billy had found out who Elise's father was. Every battle they went into his question was, "If we live through this then can we meet your father?" Her response was always no.

"Har." Billy rolled his eyes. "He's right there. You lose."

She looked at him for a long moment, then looked at Ranger. "Daddy, when this over can you help me ship him to a third world country?"

"What kind of survival rate do you want?"

"Bare minimum."

"Sure, Munchkin. We can do that." Ranger nodded.

Elise shot a smug look at Billy. He glared her. "That's just cold."

She laughed briefly. "What's the question?"

"Depending on how things play out what kind of operation are we looking at? Op TLD or Op TLM?"

Her men looked at her expectantly. Her father and uncles were looking at each other as though they were trying to remember what those Ops were. She resisted the urge to laugh. They definitely would not know what those ops were.

"If things go the way I think they will, then consider it Op TLD meets Op TLM." She answered.

Vic stretched leisurely back in his chair with a grin. "I love my job."

"Alright, I'll bite." Lester finally said. "What the hell are ops TLD and TLM?"

Randy laughed. "Operations Think Like Dad and Think Like Mom."

"Please tell me this is going where I think it is." Tank grinned.

"Shit, it was epic." Darren replied facing Tank. "A few years ago we were on a mission that was FUBAR before we'd even left the states. Half the time I don't think we should have gotten out of there alive—"

"We shouldn't have." Randy agreed.

"—but towards the end, we're surrounded. Exhausted, and ready to give up. We find Elise lying down in the middle of us staring straight up. At first we thought she was down. Trevor asks what's wrong. She's quiet for several minutes then goes, "I know exactly what Dad would do in this situation. Right now I'm trying to figure out what Mom would do in this situation."" At this point all the men were chuckling. Ranger raised an eyebrow at Elise who shrugged and grinned. "She finally figures something out and tells us what it is. We didn't think it had a shot in hell, but we didn't have anything to lose at that point. But it worked. I'm not sure who was more confused, us or them."

"Trust me, I think the enemy is still scratching their heads trying to figure out what the hell happened." Randy said.

"After that, we started referring to things as Op TLD or Op TLM depending on what was needed." Billy told them as they calmed down.

"I get that." Lester couldn't repress the laughter anymore. It was too brilliant. He could only imagine the responses of the enemy if Elise had used Stephanie's way of thinking. She was definitely one to think outside the box and it looked like that had been exactly what she'd had to do.

"Okay, so what do you need us to do?" Kyle asked Elise above the laughter.

She leaned back in her seat. "Tomorrow afternoon we're going to go over everything about Cortez."

"Resources?" Darren asked.

"RangeMan."

"Shit we get to work with legends?" Billy looked like he wanted to faint.

"Georgeson, don't make me taser your ass." Elise said flatly.

"You should taser his ass for good measure." Kyle said.

"I veto the tasering as the team medic. Just saying." Alan called out. "Do you know what you could do to him?"

"Besides save the women of the world from Don Juan?" Elise asked sweetly.

"I have never had a woman complain about my moves." Billy defended himself.

"You don't stick around long enough to find out." Alan shot back.

Tank and Ranger shared a look and both repressed the urge to laugh. Billy was like Lester in his wild days. Ranger wondered if Lester would pick up on it.

"Randy, I need you in the morning." Elise looked at him. "Meet me here at the gym around 8."

Randy looked at her for a moment then asked, "You sure? If you don't remember fighting him before—"

"Then you're going to make sure I'm prepared to fight him again." Elise gave him a look that clearly brooked no argument.

"Sounds good." He shrugged.

"Hey. The rest of us are good enough to spar with you." Billy said indignantly

"Speak for yourself." Kyle muttered.

Elise raised an eyebrow. "Billy, the last time I sparred with you, I had you down in under five seconds."

"I was hung over."

"Excuses." She replied a smile playing at her lips.

"If I may." Ranger interceded. "Since RangeMan is being used as well for this…Op TLD&M, I'd like to lay a few ground rules. Most of you will be staying here at the available apartments we have. I imagine all of you will want to use the gym to work out, which I highly encourage. However, I expect to be kept up to speed with the entire goings on."

"Yes sir." All the men chorused. Elise bit her lip to keep from laughing.

…

CJ walked down the street whistling. The pretty young thing he'd met last night had been well worth it. He was feeling relaxed and ready to go help his mother. He was putting some of his studies to work while they were on vacation. He was majoring in business and wanted to be able to help both his parents and hopefully find a good niche for himself when the time was right. His teachers had all told him he was a shrewd thinker. Stephanie had let him come to her offices several times and he gained a better understanding of what was expected as a boss and the intricacies of her business.

"Manoso."

He turned to see someone leaning against the wall staring at him. He wasn't all that built. He was dressed in black and was slowly smoking a cigarette.

"Who wants to know?" CJ asked calmly. His gut said this wasn't going to end well. Something wasn't right with this man.

"Someone wants to speak with you."

"Then he can come out here."

"In private."

"Not happening."

The man pushed himself from the wall. He walked toward CJ lazily. "Boy, don't make this tougher than it needs to be."

"Seems to me your boss is making it tougher than it needs to be." He shot back.

Several other men came from out of nowhere. CJ was surrounded, but he wasn't going down without a fight. The first guy looked at him. "How'd you like to do this? The easy way or the hard way?"

"I've never been one to take the easy route." CJ snarled.

"Pity."

They attacked. CJ was a good fighter thanks to the training he'd had growing up. He could hold his own, but when you had one man against seven it was a tough fight, one that he wasn't sure he was actually going to win. Whoever the hell these guys were, they weren't taking him down that easily.

He felt the cold metal of a blade slice through his side. Rather than cave to the pain shooting through him, he continued to fight. He was barely aware of an added player who helped beat back the other men.

When they were gone, CJ staggered to the ground. His eyes shut and he tried to focus on getting past the pain. Someone slapped him in the face enough to make him open his eyes. He glared at the person. "Morelli?"

His voice was raspy. JJ looked down at him. "Shit man, we've got to get you to the hospital."

…

Cami ran along the beach enjoying the morning air. She knew when Elise came home last night that something was up and from her sister's demeanor it was something she would not talk about. Cami could also tell Ranger knew about it but was going to keep things quiet. She had a feeling Elise's vacation was on a temporary hold until she did whatever she had to.

She ran fast, weaving away from the waves and sometimes weaving into them. She knew she was free on the beach and feeling the wind through her hair as she ran made her want to fly. Cami knew she could fly if she wanted to.

Stopping, she braced her hands on her knees and took several deep breaths. She didn't want to turn back, but she had already been running for an hour this morning. She wanted to go to RangeMan and see if her dad would let her play with the computers. She would even promise to not lock anyone out of something.

The hair on the back of her neck rose. Something was wrong. Someone was there. Someone who shouldn't be there. She kept her head bent down, she slowed her breathing. She listened as the person came closer to her. When they were close enough, she turned swinging.

Before she could land a punch she was tackled and something covered her nose and mouth. _Fuck_, she thought as she slid into unconsciousness.


	9. Nurses and Footprints

**AN: Thanks for the reviews everyone! It was definitely reassuring! I'm feeling a bit better about things now! I had a feeling the story would take a turn from fluffy somewhere, but I wasn't sure which way it was going to go! Now I know! Hope y'all enjoy, and as usual, I don't own them!**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

_Nurses and Footprints_

CJ opened his eyes against the bright florescent light. Quickly he shut them again and slowly opened them as they adjusted to the light. There was a steady beeping sound next to him. He looked around. He was in the hospital. The annoying beep that seemed to increase the throbbing of his head was a heart monitor, which was hooked up to him. Of course, he thought annoyed sitting up.

"Mr. Manoso!" A nurse hustled in. "We were wondering when you would wake up. Now lay back down. You can't move around so quickly. You gave us quite a fright!"

The nurse was blonde with a little waist and long hair that begged for a man to tangle his hands in. He let her push him back down gently. She gave him a coy smile as she moved his bed so he was sitting up better. "Now, stay there while I get the doctor!"

"Yes ma'am." He drawled watching her departing back.

Someone laughed next to him. He looked over and found JJ sitting next to the bed. JJ grinned. "Yeah, you've got all the hotties coming in to make sure you're okay."

"It's in the genes." CJ replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't figure it was a good idea to leave you alone after that rumble out there." JJ leaned back. "Who the hell did you piss off?"

"I didn't piss anyone off other than you." CJ said wincing. "Fuck. What happened?"

"I was hoping you could tell us." Ranger said strolling into the room with Stephanie next to him. From where he sat CJ could feel the absolute fury radiating off his father. This bypassed any anger he'd ever seen out of him growing up.

"CJ." Stephanie was by his side running a hand through his hair. He could see the worry and fear in her eyes and hated that he'd put it there.

"Who called you?" He asked. If he could have avoided scaring his parents he would have.

"I did." JJ answered. When CJ shot him a glare he shrugged. "Dude. You lost consciousness before we even got you into my truck. You were bleeding pretty damn bad. The only ones who can make medical decisions for you are your parents."

"He's right, CJ." Ranger said. Even his fury he was surprised when he'd gotten the call from JJ.

"Mr. Manoso. Good to see you're awake." The doctor walked in. "I'm Dr. Smith. How are you feeling?"

"Like I went twenty rounds with Uncle Tank." CJ muttered trying to close his eyes again. This was a bad dream. He was sure it was. He just had to keep his eyes shut and he would wake up wrapped around…shit what was her name?

"CJ!" Stephanie scolded. He opened his eyes wide before realizing he'd said all those things out loud. Crap.

"Mr. Manoso, we're going to keep you here for the next couple days." Dr. Smith said. "You took a pretty deep knife wound and are very lucky it didn't catch anything vital. On top of that you've got some fractured ribs." Well that certainly explained the discomfort surrounding his lungs. "I'm also concerned about a concussion. Mr. Morelli said you hit the ground pretty hard when the fight was done."

"I guess." CJ shrugged. He couldn't remember.

"We're going to monitor your vitals for the next couple days. From all the wounds you've got we want to make sure nothing sneaks up on you. So when we give you the okay, we'll release you to go home."

"Okay." He liked hospitals about as much as Stephanie did, but his head fucking hurt. "Can I get something for my head?"

"Of course. I'll see to it that something is brought immediately. Although I must say you won't have too much trouble getting service." He jerked a thumb toward the open door. CJ could see several nurses peeking around trying to get glimpses of him. His lips quirked upward. Hm…

"Don't even think about it son." Ranger said warningly. He looked at Dr. Smith. "I will be having men from RangeMan coming to guard his room. I trust this will not be a problem?"

"Of course not." Dr. Smith shook his head. "I'll see to it that others are aware of it."

Ranger nodded his head to the doctor and waited until he had left the room. Shutting the door he looked at CJ. "What happened CJ?"

"I don't know." CJ shut his eyes again and worked on recalling the events around the loud hammering in his head. Slowly he managed to tell his parents what happened. He felt a shift in anger. It wasn't just coming from his father he realized. The worry and protectiveness his mother had been holding onto switched into a fury that matched Ranger's.

"And where do you come into this?" Stephanie asked JJ coldly. "As far as I know, you don't even like our family."

"I... Ahh..." JJ rubbed his head. "Ma'am, I owe your family an apology."

"What?" She looked shocked from this statement.

JJ let out a breath. "Yeah. Well, I had to call Dad the night CJ and I got thrown into jail. Something he said was…shocking to say the least. Anyway when I did get bailed out I made some calls. Things weren't sitting right. I talked to Eddie and Carl and had some things set straight." He fidgeted. He wasn't good with apologies. "I'm sorry for the disrespect I've shown you in the past.

"This morning I saw CJ get jumped and knew he wouldn't get out of that successfully since it was seven to one. I don't think the guys were expecting interference. They hightailed it out of there pretty quick. I'm guessing they were aiming to take CJ based off what he said and based off the fact that they didn't stick around to keep fighting with both of us in there. CJ went down pretty fast after they left."

Stephanie was staring at him in surprise. When she and Joe had officially split for good they had ended things amicably. At least that's what she had thought. She and Ranger had married and were happy. Joe had finally gotten married and seemed happy. Her grandmother had no problems talking about the arguments all the neighbors could hear coming from the Morelli household. Word spread throughout the burg that Joe was bitter about Ranger having Stephanie. She never made a move to give him hope otherwise because she had been (and currently still was) absolutely in love with Ranger.

JJ was showing a remorse and wisdom that Joe had never showed. She had a feeling it came from his mother and felt sympathy for him for losing her. Perhaps if she had lived JJ would have had a better upbringing without all the brainwashing Joe was able to do.

Stephanie walked over to JJ. Leaning down she kissed his cheek and said, "Thank you for saving my son." She smiled when JJ looked at her and blushed. Who would've thought, she giggled inside, that a Morelli could blush?

The blonde who had come to help CJ earlier came back in with some pain pills. After giving CJ another inviting once over, she turned to leave and gave Ranger a good once over as well. Stephanie cleared her throat. "Young lady, if you want to keep your eyes in your head, you will stop ogling my husband."

The nurse hustled out of there shutting the door quickly. Ranger grinned at Stephanie. "Babe."

She raised an eyebrow at him and planted her hands on her hips. "What?"

"You never disappoint." He replied. He turned back to his son who was watching the door longingly. "CJ, do you have any idea who would have wanted to jump you?"

His lips tugged. "Besides women? No. The only one I've consistently pissed off is JJ and seeing as how he came to my aid…I'd say we have to rule him out."

"Perhaps one of your old enemies…or mine." Stephanie murmured.

"Perhaps." Ranger agreed. Fuck, he hated this. He had had a paralyzing fear when JJ told him CJ had been rushed into the emergency room. The relief that his son was alive was quickly overridden by the sudden angry urge to hunt and kill whoever had jumped his son. Stephanie was right. They would have to go through all their enemies and see who was still active and see who might be feeling ballsy enough to attack his family.

"Um…Mom?" CJ looked at her. "Are you planning to stay here the entire time I'm here?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Stephanie asked.

"Mom…" CJ groaned. He loved his parents. Really and truly. But there were times when a man had to be a man….and that included when he was stuck in the hospital. Plus there was that blonde nurse…

Ranger took pity on his son. "Babe, we'll visit, but let's let him have his peace."

"Our son was attacked!" She whirled around and glared at him.

"I know which is why we have guards coming to stay with him." Ranger replied. "You and I are of no use in finding out who did this if we're here all day and night."

Stephanie narrowed her eyes at him then turned quickly and pointed at JJ. "You! You are not to let him try leaving this hospital before the doctor gives his okay! You are his guard dog until we say differently."

"Why would he…oh. Never mind." JJ quickly recalled stories from Stephanie's bounty hunter days when she had a bad habit of not listening to people when they told her to stay put. Something told him from the look on her face that CJ followed her footsteps very closely from that.

"Son, we're going to step out and make some calls." Ranger said, taking Stephanie's hand. "We'll be here for a while."

"Sure, Dad." CJ waited until his parents left before smirking at JJ. "Looks like that makes you my bitch."

"You're lucky you're in the hospital." JJ and CJ laughed. In that moment a feud fell away and a friendship that had been buried from elementary school began creeping out into the open.

Out in the hall, Stephanie turned into Ranger. "Damn it, Carlos!" She clutched his shirt. "Who did this to him?"

"I don't know, Babe." Ranger wrapped his arms around her. "But when we find out, they'll wish they hadn't."

Tears filled her eyes as she buried her face in his chest. "Oh god. When you called I thought…."

"I know, Babe. I know." He tightened his hold on her as she sobbed quietly and buried his face in her hair. They stood there for several minutes.

Finally, Stephanie leaned back and looked up at Ranger. "What do you mean we'll visit? We're his parents."

"Babe." Ranger smiled. "He's a man."

"That doesn't mean anything when you're—oh for heaven's sake!" Stephanie rolled her eyes when she saw several nurses eye her husband. CJ was his father's son alright. Of course he wanted his privacy. "Fine. We'll let him have his quiet time."

…

Elise walked into the hospital and found CJ's room. Stephanie had called her at RangeMan and given her the update. Julie had been told also but was currently out after an FTA. She would be by later. "Hey, little brother."

The blonde nurse was helping CJ settle back in bed. Her hands lingered on him for a bit before turning to leave. She gave Elise a look of disdain which was met with a blank look from her.

"Shit, CJ." Elise smiled at him. "Don't you ever try to go without getting a girl?"

"She's cute." He shrugged and winced. "Just because you're not getting any doesn't mean I don't have to." He saw her tense. "Sorry. Low blow."

"Yeah." She said softly. Sitting next to him, she eyed him. "So, get an angry husband and his friends after you?"

"Ha. I wish." CJ rolled his eyes. "I dunno. The guy who stopped me was dressed all in black. Smoked a cigarette. He reminded me of a twenties gangster with the way he acted. Just without a suit."

Something clicked in the back of her mind. "What did he say?"

"Said his boss wanted to talk to me privately. I told him he could come to me. Things turned bad at that point." He closed his eyes. The headache was beginning to come back. "Hey, where's Cami? I would have thought she'd be by for sure."

"She was still sleeping when Dad and I left this morning." Elise replied. "Mom said she was going for a run when she left."

"We should call and check on her." CJ said. "If I was jumped and if she was out running by herself then we don't know what could happen."

"Shit, you're right." Elise pulled out her phone and dialed Cami. There was no answer. Elise looked back at her brother. "I'm going to go check at the house. Call Dad and see if she showed up at RangeMan. Call me and let me know either way."

Elise got to the beach house in record time and found her sister's cell phone sitting on the counter with several missed calls. Most of them were from her or Stephanie. Something wasn't sitting right. The back door was still unlocked. Cami would have locked it when she came in. Elise searched through the house for her sister.

CJ had called her and told her that she had never shown up at RangeMan. Walking out to the back of the house, she saw foot prints that she could only assume had been Cami. They were only leaving the house area. There were no footsteps indicating any return. Elise followed the footsteps. Slowly she began picking up her pace as she continued down the beach.

She could see the footsteps continue. Her body hit a breakneck run as she hurried along the trail that she could only assume was her sister.

By the time she came to the end of them she was breathing hard. She knew Cami liked to run. They all did, but sometimes she forgot that Cami could lose herself in running. It looked like this was one of those mornings for her.

She found a large area of footprints. Where the one set she had followed ended there were three more that joined. Two of them lead toward the water. One simply disappeared. Cami. She could feel it in her gut. Whatever had happened to Cami, she'd been carried away. Another set lead up to a deserted parking lot. She walked up to the parking lot and looked around. There was no way in hell Cami would have been able to get help out here she realized. Cami would have had to run like the wind, but she would have run _back _to where she was safest.

Her phone rang on her hip. "Yeah?"

"Where are you?" Ranger demanded.

"I'm at the spot Cami was taken." She whispered.


	10. Government Leaks?

****

AN: Thanks for the reviews everyone! I'm glad everyone is enjoying it!

* * *

Chapter 10

_Goverment Leak?_

Elise was sitting in the sand away from the prints when Ranger arrived. Her back was to him. She was hunched over, head hanging down. The sound of several doors opening and closing caught her attention. Standing she turned and faced her parents.

"What do you have?" Ranger asked when he got to her.

"There are two sets of prints coming from the house." Elise motioned. "One set are mine, the other are Cami's from what I can tell. At this point," She indicated the area where there were several prints, "I have to assume is where she was caught. I don't see anything showing a struggle, but you know Cami."

Ranger's mouth was set in a grim line as he studied the area Elise showed him. Sure enough everything was the way Elise described it, if the theory was correct. He would have come to the same conclusions she had.

Stephanie was shaking with fury. She was terrified that her youngest daughter was being hurt, but she was channeling that worry into her anger and determination to find Cami and make the people who took her pay with their lives.

"Mom, I—"

"Not now, Elise." She snapped. "Just go back to work."

Elise looked like she'd been slapped. Before anyone could see the look she nodded her head. "I'll head to RangeMan." And quickly she got into one of the SUV's that had been brought out for her. There was a team there to help Ranger and Stephanie.

When she drove she blinked back tears and swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. "Come on, soldier. You don't have time for this." She took a shuddering breath. "You _have to a job. Emotions will hinder you._"

By the time she reached RangeMan she had calmed down and locked her emotions behind her. As she walked into the building she knew she had to distance herself from her family a bit. Picking up her cell phone she called Alan who was at the house with another team trying to find anything to indicate some sort of surveillance on their family. When he answered she said, "I need you to bring my clothes and essentials from the house. I won't be staying there until we get a hold of Cortez." She hung up before he could answer.

Entering the conference room she found her team waiting for her. They had been compiling their reports on the events with Cortez for her. Billy looked at her expectantly. "Is Cami alive and well?"

"No." She said. "It seems that Cami has been taken."

"Shit." Kyle looked at her. "Do you think Cortez has anything to do with it?"

"I don't know." Elise admitted. "Honestly. Dad did a pretty good job on helping me bury information on myself so I wouldn't be subjected to expectations from his rep. All of you know you really have to do some digging to find out who my father is."

"Then it's possible one of your father's old enemies is coming out to play." Victor said.

"Possibly." Elise sat down and closed her eyes.

"What makes you think Cortez has Trevor?" Randy asked switching subjects. He knew there was going to be an added stress on Elise's shoulders with Cami's abduction. Knowing that the soldier had to trump the sister and lover inside her he did what he could think of and directed it to the current mission at hand.

"I received sketches from Trevor." Elise sighed opening her eyes again. "They were addressed to me as Donahue rather than Manoso. It might not seem odd, but Trev would send them to me under my actual last name, not my birth name."

"Makes sense." Randy nodded. These men, himself included would send things to her as Manoso if they were sending personal things. Things of other natures were sent to a PO Box that was under Donahue.

"Where's the map?" Elise said. Darren stood and tacked a map up on the wall. It was a large map of Colombia. Over the morning while Elise and Randy had been in the gym working out, the rest of them had mapped out their mission. The Colombian government had asked for aid against Marcus Cortez, a very powerful drug cartel. Diggory had jumped at the chance to put Elise and her team into the field. Diggory barely tolerated Elise so she was forced to wonder, yet again, if he had done it in hopes that none of them would come out of it alive.

The door to the conference room opened and Lester, Bobby and Tank walked in. Elise was mildly surprised to see them. They were either here to be kept apprised of the situation with Cortez or to babysit her on the chance that she wouldn't get kidnapped either. They took their seats at the conference table and watched expectantly.

"Alright, so here's what we know." Vic said typing away on his computer. "Cortez is mid-thirties, extremely successful, or was until we got to him. We neutralized him in the drug capacity."

"Made a lot of things go boom." Billy grinned wickedly. Elise rolled her eyes affectionately. Billy really enjoyed exploding things.

"What we don't know is where he went." Darren said. "That's where things get tricky. I've been on the phone all morning talking to some of our contacts in Colombia, but they all say the same thing. He disappeared two years ago after things went up shit creek."

"Remind me again why he wasn't killed?" Elise asked.

"I was the only one who was able to get to you." Randy replied. "It was either go after Cortez and kill him or leave you there bleeding to death." She gave a grim nod.

"The rest of us were still in position to get the hell out of there." Kyle said. He rubbed his eyes. "Shit. The look on Trevor's face when you guys got to us and we saw how badly you were injured…"

"So what we know now is that he's in Miami." Elise said, focusing on the folder in front of her. "Or that's the theory our guys are running with."

"That's the theory." Kyle agreed.

"Our government and the Colombian government want him arrested." She leaned back and looked at all the men, including her uncles. "Although I get the impression the Colombian higher ups would be more inclined to let us kill him. The only one I think wants him alive is our government."

"What's the starting point?" Tank asked watching her.

"I'm not sure yet." Elise admitted. "I'd like to check out all the places he'd be likely to frequent, but in Cortez's case it can go from high society to the slums. He's good like that. He likes to keep options available to him in all walks of life."

"We're more likely to find something going around the slums." Randy put in. "At least, we men are. You'd be better going through the higher up."

"Unless you want to go slumming and we'll go higher up." Billy said cheekily. "I can pull of a tux really well."

"You're thinking with the wrong brain again." Elise sighed. "But me going through the higher up end of society, while usually would work, is tougher right now given CJ's attack and Cami's abduction."

"But you can get into things without being noticed." Billy pointed out.

"Yes, but she's been to a lot of events as Carlos Manoso's daughter." Lester put in. "Which means someone will recognize her and things will really be fucked then."

"And you're absolutely sure he couldn't figure out who you are?" Darren asked her. "We did it."

"You did it because you looked at my emergency contact." Elise pointed out. "Cortez would have to have connections inside the government to find that information out."

"Which might not be impossible." Bobby pointed out.

"No that's true." She agreed.

"You think Diggory might be his link?" Victor asked.

"Tough to say."

"I would doubt it." Tank said. "Even when we were in service, Diggory was all about the good ole U.S. of A. It's unlikely his view point has changed. If anything he would simply become more of a fanatic about it."

"Yeah, but he's not fond of Elise at all." Billy said. "Half the time it's like he's gunning for her to fail."

Her uncles looked at each other and shifted. Elise narrowed her eyes at them. "What aren't you telling me?"

"It's really not our place." Tank said. "You'll have to talk to your father."

"I'm not asking him. I'm asking you."

"It was a long time ago, Elise."

"And clearly whatever it was, Diggory hasn't let it go."

"I'm just saying you should—"

"Cheer Bear!" Elise snapped. Tank met her eyes and held them. He could see the turmoil running rampant through them. She was having a tough time not remembering the whole situation with Cortez and with Cami's disappearance. Most people knew she had spent several years calling him Cheer Bear, that didn't faze him. It was the utter despair that was creeping around the edges of her eyes that startled him, but his years of military training kept his face in place.

Finally he said quietly. "Ranger has to tell you."

She stared at him for a long moment then nodded.

…

Ranger arrived back at RangeMan several hours later. A glance toward the conference room showed him Elise sitting on the table, one leg folded under her, the other propping up an arm that held papers. She was studying everything intently.

He was furious with the lack of results they'd had toward Cami. No one had seen anything. His security monitors had only picked up that she had indeed gone running. But she was out of sight of the cameras quickly. All his girls liked to run so he knew that she would have run for a couple hours before arriving back at home. But the cameras never showed her arrival.

Stephanie was just as frustrated as he was. She was pulling out all the stops with her own contacts, trying to see what anyone knew. He had heard her snap at Elise earlier and knew she felt guilty about it. Ranger knew when Elise got home Stephanie would apologize for her attitude.

"Boss." Ranger turned from observing his daughter to seeing Tank leaning against the wall.

"Report."

Tank shook his head. "Nothing to report so far. Silvio has been looking at several of your old enemies and it looks like several of them have croaked. RJ and Seth have been looking into Steph's enemies and even John Tresdale's enemies. They have the thought that if someone found out Bombshell inherited all of Tresdale's money, then they might target her to try getting some of it."

"And Cortez?"

"Ahh. Yeah." Tank grinned. "Your girl is fierce and pissed as hell right now. So far there's nothing in regards to Cortez. Right now the only thing all of us agree on is that Cortez would have to have a connection inside the government to find out who Elise is. Her team is looking at Diggory."

"Diggory wouldn't do that. He's too arrogant to give anyone anything in regards to the country." Ranger said without thought.

"That's what we said." Tank nodded. "Except, funny thing is Diggory seems to be gunning for Elise. Billy said it seems like he's always waiting for her to fail. You should probably tell her what happened."

"It's not relevant."

"To her it is. Dude, she Cheer Beared me." Tank sighed. "Plus, you need to take a good look at her. I think she's getting ready to snap."

Ranger nodded and walked to the conference room. Elise didn't even look up at him as he entered and shut the door. "Munchkin."

"Hm?"

"How long have you been staring at those papers?"

"Not long enough." She answered, still not looking at him and moving from one set of papers to the next, muttering softly to herself. Something just didn't sit right. They had no actual pictures of Cortez. They had to have _some _pictures of him somewhere. It would help if they had them.

Elise let off a startled shriek when Ranger picked her up off the table and planted her in a chair. He took the papers from her and sat in front of her. She glared at him, folding her arms over her chest. Ranger searched her eyes. Tank was right; she looked close to snapping.

"Diggory, his brother and I went through basic together." Ranger finally said. "We were sent on several missions in the Rangers together as well. During one of those missions his brother was killed. We were ambushed and we lost a few men. I was able to help get Diggory out before the enemy killed him, but I couldn't get to his brother. Once we got stateside he was adamant that I hadn't tried to get his brother. None of us could get to him. All of us would have died trying. Diggory doesn't see it that way. As a general he'd have access to those reports. I imagine he's looked at them all pretty intensely trying to find a flaw or two. Despite that belief, Diggory is very firm in his attitude about the USA. I truly don't believe he's your leak."

"Then why is he gunning for me?"

"Perhaps to make me feel the same loss he felt." Ranger replied. He leaned forward and took Elise's hands in hers. "Elise, you need to go home and rest. You're not going to be any good to your men like this."

"I'm not staying at home." She replied. "I'm staying on four."

"When was this decided?"

"When I got here this afternoon." Elise stood up. "It's safer to keep me away from the house isn't it?"

Ranger rose. "Do you know something about your sister's disappearance?"

"No." Elise admitted. "But my gut tells me that staying at the house is a bad idea."


	11. Tingles for a New Age

****

AN: Okay, so here's a new chapter for everyone! I don't own them, I just play. Thanks for those of you reviewing! I hope this chapter keeps everyone's attention! Please Read and Review! It's greatly appreciated! Oh, and as for the Spanish on here, I used a translator online so if I didn't get everything in the right way blame it on the translator!

* * *

**Chapter 11**

_Tingles for a New Age_

Cami slowly opened her eyes. The light in the room was dim. Why was there even a light on? Her parents would have left the light off until she got up. Her head swam as she sat up and looked around. This wasn't her room. What the hell happened? She wondered before realizing she'd been attacked while running. How long ago was that? It was dark now, so she could only hope it had been for the day. Oh god, her family! They'd be in a panic! Crawling off the bed, she staggered and sat back down. Her head was throbbing even worse now.

"Good evening, Camille."

Her head shot up. A tall, lean man walked into view. She guessed he was in his thirties. His black hair was parted and fell into his eyes in a good looking sort of way. If it wasn't for the fact that she was aware that he was probably responsible for her abduction she might have taken his looks into more consideration.

"Who the hell are you?" She snarled.

"My name is Christopher Ortega." He smiled. "I've come to welcome you to my home."

"You kidnapped me."

"My dear, you look like your head is in pain." Christopher continued to smile. It looked like a sympathetic smile. "I told them to be gentle with you. I wanted you completely unharmed. I will have some aspirin and water brought for you."

"Why did you kidnap me?"

He studied her for several minutes. She couldn't see his eyes very well because the shadows from the dim light in the room covered them. Finally he said, "You're probably hungry. There are some dresses in the closet you can wear. They should fit you. When you're finished dressing one of my men will escort you to the dining room."

"I'm not hungry."

"I think you are. You've had a long day."

"_I'm not hungry!_"

Christopher stepped fully into the light. "I. Think. You. Are." Cami's eyes widened at the madness that was evident in his eyes. Instinct told her to cooperate. To trust her family would find her. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, but she nodded.

"Okay. Is there a bathroom I can use?" She asked meekly.

"Of course." Back was the considerate host. "Right over there. Don't take long. Dinner is being served in ten minutes and I do not like to be kept waiting."

Cami nodded and walked to the bathroom as quickly as she could. Once she was in there she looked around. She gripped a window, but there was no way she could lift it. It was sealed shut. She looked outside. The moon was full and beautiful and cast a gorgeous view down on the ocean. Her parents would have been out on the beach enjoying the view and each other. Right now they would be trying to find her. Cami's eyes filled but she blinked them back furiously. She would make sure she survived. That what her dad did in the army, right? And Elise too. Cami nodded to herself. She would _survive_, even if it meant playing this bastards game for a while.

The madness in his eyes scared her. Something told her to spark him into temper would be a terrible idea. If she wanted to survive, she would have to be cooperative. Her family was a force not to be reckoned with when pissed off. Cami couldn't contain the grin as she used the toilet and washed her hands. Looking around the bathroom she saw all the essentials she would need. Hell, there was even her brand of birth control in a drawer.

"What the hell?" She muttered, then it dawned on her. Fuck he had done his research! He had to have a really good team to get ahold of her medical. She wasn't foolish enough to believe that Ranger or Stephanie would led their medical be found. They kept their lives as private as possible, which included their children's.

_Fuuuuuccccckkkkkk._

It was the only thought that crossed her mind as she numbly walked out of the bathroom and headed to the next door that she assumed was a closet. When she looked in her lips curled up. There were only dresses in here. Was he aware of the century? Sighing she grabbed a sundress off a hanger. As she dressed she murmured, "Dude, you're gonna be so sorry you messed with _mi familia."_

She left the bedroom dressed and found one of his men waiting for her. Silently he turned and headed toward the dining room. Cami took the time to look around as she walked through the corridors. The house was made of marble and it was stunningly beautiful. Elegant decorations lined the halls. Men stationed along the corridor took away some of the charm, but she could easily overlook them if she wanted to.

She was more and more curious about the man who had kidnapped her. Perhaps she could find a way to make it benefit her.

The dining room was huge. A long wooden table was set up in the center with candle holders spaced evenly apart. Christopher sat at one end waiting patiently for her to join him. He smiled warmly and stood. He motioned to his left, indicating where she would sit. She saw another place set across from him.

Cami sat down and looked at her plate. The food looked mouthwatering. A glass of water with two aspirin was sitting next to the plate. Quickly she took them and sighed with relief knowing the pain would subside soon. She looked at Christopher who was frowning.

"We say prayer before we eat." He scolded.

"Um… my head… you said…"

"Of course. Of course. Silly me. It slipped my mind. No need to apologize." He looked at his watch. "Silly boy is late."

"You have another…guest?"

Christopher didn't answer her. He simply looked at his watch and frowned again. Cami felt a tingle at the base of her spine and it slowly worked its way up as the dining room doors slammed open. Her eyes widened as a man walked to the table. The tingle was on the back of her neck. Unconsciously she touched her neck.

"Richard. You are late."

"Two minutes."

Cami looked at Richard. The only thing that came to mind was dangerously delicious. His shaggy brown hair fell into pale green eyes that were very annoyed. Under the button down shirt and jeans she could see he was built. Her body responded to the sight of him. _Oh my, _she thought. His skin was tanned, shades lighter than her own, but dark enough tell her he had spent plenty of time outside.

"You know the rules, Richard."

"I don't give a fuck about the rules, Chris." Richard snapped. "I told you I didn't want anything to do with you."

"Do not swear in front of the lady." Christopher indicated Cami. "I've explained to you before that you are staying here for your protection. There are those who would do me harm. I intend to keep my family safe."

"Oh for fuck's sake." Richard rolled his eyes and picked up his fork. Cami almost grinned. His eye roll was perfect for the Burg if he was there, but something on Christopher's face said it would not be good to encourage Richard.

"Richard." Christopher said warningly. Richard looked at him and put down his fork. Christopher took his hand and Cami's hand. He looked pointedly at both of them until Richard reached his hand over and took Cami's in his. The jolt of electricity that shot through her had her head snapping up to meet his eyes. He was looking at her speculatively. Christopher cleared his throat and bowed his head. "Dear Lord, we thank you for the food we are about to receive…"

Cami listened to the rest of the prayer feeling bewildered. A silent amen came from her lips. She knew her parents were Catholic, and officially, so were her and her brother, but they weren't practicing Catholics. This man was…well, she wasn't sure what he was exactly, but something scared her about him.

"Now we may eat." Christopher said with a smile at both of them. "Richard, this is our guest, Camille."

"You can call me Cami." She said softly.

"No." Christopher shook his head. "You are a lady and will be called Camille. I will not tolerate anything else."

Richard rolled his eyes. "And why do we have a guest, _brother?_"

"It is no concern of yours." Was the definitive reply.

Cami took a bite of her dinner and unconsciously moaned with pleasure as her eyes closed. It was fantastic. She opened her eyes and found Richard smirking at her and Christopher frowning at her.

"I'm sorry." She said sheepishly. "I haven't eaten all day."

"Understandable, but it is unladylike to make bedroom noises at the table. Do not let it happen again."

Richard shot him a glare when he saw Cami flush with embarrassment. Christopher disregarded the look and continued to eat. Cami was eating slowly, trying to check any noises that might come from her.

Halfway through the meal one of Christopher's men came in and whispered in his ear. He listened stoically then stood. Excusing himself he let himself out of the dining room. When the door was shut, Richard leaned back and cocked his head, observing Cami. "If you want to make bedroom noises while you eat, I won't stop you."

Cami glared at him, causing a laugh to sneak out of him. "I'm sorry." He said. "Chris is…"

"A kidnapper." Cami said flatly.

"Archaic."

"That too from the five minutes I've been here." She muttered rolling her eyes.

"So why are you here?" Richard picked up a wine glass and sipped slowly, his eyes observing her carefully. "Did my dear big brother hire you to sleep with me?" Fire flashed in her eyes. "No? Did he hire you to sleep with him?"

Cami glared at him and threw down her napkin. Standing she marched around the table determined to leave the dining room. When she got to the doors, she yanked only to find herself locked in. She gaped at the door.

"He won't let us out until he's good and ready."

Turning she found Richard standing a few feet away from her looking amused. "If you're his brother then surely you'd be allowed out whenever you want."

"It doesn't quite work like that with Chris." He gave a humorless laugh. "I'm under guard as much as you. Perhaps more so because I can damage him." Richard eyed her again. "I imagine you're here to keep me passive."

Cami surprised herself when she slapped him and started ripping him a new one in Spanish. "_Se pincha arrogante. ¿Cómo te atreves! Yo no pedí ser secuestrado por su hermano. Yo estaba corriendo y pensando en mis cosas! Yo no voy a pacificar! Me gustaría nada más que meter las bolas en la garganta de la derecha ahora. No sé quién diablos sea de ustedes están, pero realmente no me importa! Todo lo que tengo que hacer es aguardar mi tiempo hasta que mi familia viene. Y no será agradable cuando te encuentre!"_

(You arrogant prick. How dare you! I didn't ask to be kidnapped by your brother. I was running and minding my own business! I'm not going to pacify you! I'd like nothing more than to shove your balls into your throat right now. I don't know who the hell either of you are but I really don't care! All I have to do is bide my time until my family comes. And they won't be nice when they find you!)

Richard's eyes lit up and he let out a good solid laugh then returned, "_Hermosa, es bueno ver que tienen columna vertebral. Usted va a sobrevivir en contra de mi hermano sin ningún problema. Lo siento por la forma en que lo trataron durante la cena. Como ya he dicho, que es arcaico en sus creencias, pero no dejes que te destruyan."_

(Beautiful, it's good to see you have backbone. You'll survive against my brother with no problem. I am sorry for how he treated you at dinner. As I said, he is archaic in his beliefs, but do not let him destroy you.)

"You speak Spanish?" Cami asked resignedly.

"I grew up speaking English and Spanish." He replied.

"Oh. I learned from my dad. Actually, my brother and two sisters speak it also. Drives my mom nuts sometimes." Cami smiled.

Richard came closer to her and cupped her cheek softly. "I apologize for my comments. I wanted to make sure you weren't actually here to pacify me."

"You could have asked."

"I could have, but if you had been hired to pacify me, you would have lied through your teeth." His thumb stroked up along her cheek. Butterflies swirled in her stomach rapidly. Her eyes unconsciously dropped to his lips. She forced herself to look back up at his eyes, which had darkened from their pale green to an intense green. Cami knew he felt the connection between them as well. The tingle in her neck was intensifying.

"Why did he take me?" She whispered.

"I don't know." Richard replied. "Who is your family?"

"Carlos Manoso."

Richard froze. "_Ranger?_"

"You've heard of him?"

"Where I grew up I would have to have been a fool not to." He sighed and touched his forehead to Cami's briefly before realizing what he was doing. He stepped back, breaking contact. "I grew up in Miami. The areas I hung out mostly always had stories to tell of Ranger when he was a teenager."

"My great grandmother tells stories. He doesn't like it." Cami gave a small grin then frowned. "Are we still in Miami?"

"Yes and no." Richard sighed. "You won't get access to any electronics here."

"Christopher is really that archaic?"

"Well, maybe not quite that archaic." He grinned. "He has the phone and computers locked up. Our location is top secret. I don't even know where we're at. All I know is that I was unceremoniously drugged and woke up in my bedroom here."

"Does he do that to you all the time?"

"Yes. When he decides it's safe for me to go back to my own apartment, I'll be drugged again and wake up there."

"It's good to see he has a lot of trust in you. What about Sibling Confidentiality?"

"Sibling Confidentiality?" Richard gave a mirthless laugh. He came close to Cami and dropped his voice low. "Cami, if I had the option, I would kill Christopher to be free of him. I am no more a guest here than you are. If we are to survive, we have to play his game."


	12. Family History and Taser Guns

****

AN: This chapter is a little shorter than the others. The next few chapters will probably see less of the Manoso family and focus on Cami for a bit. Thanks for those that have reviewed! I don't own them, I play. Please R&R!

* * *

Chapter 12

_Family History and Taser Guns_

The next day Cami found herself exploring the house. Richard had been right; there were no electronics that she could get to. She found an impressive library, a gym, a pool outside, a garden. All in all this looked like a home to the casual observer, but given that Cami was not a casual observer, she wanted to get into the places that had been locked away from her. Any room that she was not allowed in was locked tightly. Christopher was nowhere to be seen, but he had men there that would not hesitate to make themselves known if she crossed a boundary. She was allowed to walk down to the beach, but that was it. She wasn't allowed near the water. Resentment bubbled deep in her chest.

She had found at breakfast if she wanted to eat, she would be in the dining room on time. If she was later the food would be gone and she would be waiting until the next meal. He was strict on regulating things here and it seemed that he would regulate her life whether she liked it or not.

By the time lunch rolled around she hurriedly made her way into the dining room and found Richard calmly helping himself to sandwiches. He looked up at her and she felt the tingle race up her spine. "Did you enjoy your exploration of the house?"

"There's nothing here." She muttered sitting across from him.

"Oh it's here." Richard grinned. "But neither of us are getting to it."

Cami sighed and nibbled on a sandwich. "Haven't you ever snooped?"

"I've snooped." He nodded and the look on his face was cold with old emotions. "And I've paid for it."

"Why would he hold you here if you're his brother?"

Richard leaned back and looked at her. "Half-brother. Same father, different mothers. Our father was very much in love with his first wife. They had Chris and it seemed like an ideal life. He was a good man when you overlooked his activities that gave our family its fortune. When Chris was fourteen his mother died from cancer and both of them grieved for a long time. My mother was a secretary for our father. He was feeling lonely and she was a good woman who offered a friendly shoulder for him to lean on. I'm sure you can see where this is going." At Cami's nod he continued, "He married her, and Chris was displeased to say the least. He felt that Dad was dishonoring his mother's memory. A man should grieve for the rest of his life. That is his attitude. Anyway, a year later I was born.

"Dad died when I was four. Mom took me to live in an apartment in Miami. She didn't want Christopher to have any influence over me. He was already dabbling in questionable ethics as it was. Mom was left a comfortable portion of Dad's fortune. She was careful to invest it." He smiled indulgently at the memory of his mother. "She was great with finances. Then Chris came around one day offering her a job. She told him to take a hike. She wanted nothing to do with him and wanting him to have nothing to do with me. But he knew he had her where he wanted when he pointed out that something terrible could happen to me if she looked away for even an instant."

"Oh god." Cami whispered.

"My mother was stuck on his payroll for six years. One night there was a 'random' shooting and she was killed." Richard's look turned dark as he thought about the following events. "Rest assured, I'm sure it anything but random. I know for a fact Chris had something to do with it because my mother had given the government information on him."

"Is he mob?"

"Might as well be." He sighed. "No. He is very dangerous, but the government hasn't been able to pin anything on him. They've tried. Anyway, Chris came for me that night. He told me he'd given our father a death bed promise to keep me safe. I didn't trust him when I was ten and I don't trust him twelve years later."

"What did you do?"

"Rebelled. I got into gangs, did drugs, anything that would get me out of his grasp." Richard shrugged. "It was futile in the long run. Chris has a hand in many ventures so I was always kept out of jail and brought back to where ever he chose to live at the time."

"So you gave up?"

Richard glared at her. "I have never given up. I'm placating him right now until I can find a way to get away from him permanently."

"Oh." Cami took a sip of water. "It's just you and him?"

"Not always. We had a sister." He looked uncomfortable. "She passed when I was eight."

A lot of death for him. Cami's heart broke. She reached over and took his hand in hers. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that."

Richard looked surprised at the sympathy. He squeezed her hand. "Tell me what it's like being Carlos Manoso's daughter."

"Wonderful and aggravating." She smiled. "It's wonderful because we have a great family dynamic. It's aggravating because both my parents have enemies so we tend to be overprotected a lot."

They had both been protected whether they liked it or not, Richard realized it. The difference was that she had been protected out of love while he had been protected as a family obligation. But she had taken his hand and offered her sympathy for his loss when she had known him for less than twenty four hours. There was something resiliently beautiful about her. He could tell people were probably drawn to her. He was drawn to her from the moment he'd spotted her last night.

And he wanted to have a taste of her.

…

_Four days._

Four days since Cami had been taken, Julie thought as she stood under the shower head willing the heat and warmth of the shower to erase the tension. Four days since Elise had put herself into RangeMan. Two days since CJ was allowed home and was under his own lockdown due to his injuries.

God she had to be terrified, Julie thought she closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. She had been terrified when Scrog had kidnapped her. She had barely known Ranger but had changed that after that incident.

Strong arms wrapped around her. She leaned into Alan as the steam from the shower engulfed them.

"Alan. I don't know what to do." Julie whispered. "We haven't got any leads whatsoever."

"I know." He sighed and held her tighter.

"I'm worried about Elise. Stephanie hasn't seen her since she moved herself into RangeMan."

"She is in soldier mode." Alan answered. "Chances are Stephanie probably won't see her at all until Cortez is taken out."

"That can't be healthy." She pulled back. Tears were brimming in her eyes. "Alan, one sister is missing and I'm losing the other."

Alan leaned back and cupped her face in his hands. "You're not losing either of them. Whoever took Cami is going to meet the devil if your father has anything to say about it."

"And Elise?" Her chin quivered.

"Elise is being Elise as a soldier." He kissed her softly. "She has to cope like this."

"She needs to come home." Julie said with a sigh.

"That's not going to happen." Alan replied. "Not until this is over."

"I know."

They stayed there holding each other until the water went from hot to cold. Silently they dressed and headed downstairs. Stephanie looked up at them with tired eyes. She had barely slept. Ranger had barely slept. Between finding Cami and trying to keep CJ down so he could heal they were exhausted. On top of that, there was a stupid ball at the end of next week she and Ranger had agreed to go to. Successful businessmen and women were being honored. Ranger was being honored for RangeMan in Miami. Normally she liked to tease Ranger about being his arm candy, but right now she'd like to tell them to fuck off.

"Alan, how is Elise?" Stephanie asked. She had gone to RangeMan to see her daughter, but when she had seen how focused she was she knew she wasn't going to get through to her. Ranger had confirmed her suspicions already.

"FUCK! Where the hell is all the hot water?" CJ's voice boomed through the house.

"Oops." Julie said with a small smile.

Stephanie couldn't help the laugh that came out. It was good to have that moment. Even if it was short lived.

"Alan."

"She's …" Alan shrugged. To him her behavior was perfectly normal. He'd seen it a thousand times when they'd gone on missions. "She's fine."

"Is she eating?"

"Probably."

"Sleeping?"

"Unlikely."

"Taking care of herself at all?"

Alan just stared at her. Luckily Ranger walked into the room at the moment and having heard his wife's question answered, "She's taking care of herself as much as she needs to."

"I have to go." Alan kissed Julie and quickly left the house. He and Randy had come to an agreement two days ago in regards to their captain. If she hadn't left the conference room for at least eight hours then they would forcibly remove her.

When he arrived at RangeMan he found all the team watching her from outside the conference room. Tank, Lester and Bobby were watching them, clearly intrigued as to what was going on.

"So how are we going to do this?" Billy asked. "She's not above hitting us where it hurts if we physically take her down."

"She didn't leave?" Alan guessed.

"Dude." Kyle rolled his eyes at him.

Yeah. Stupid Question, Alan thought.

"She's working herself to the bone. She got more sleep on deadlier missions." Randy said folding his arms over his chest.

"She remembers those missions." Alan said.

"We could try talking to her." Bobby said.

"You tried that two days ago." Victor reminded them. Two days ago when her 'uncles' had gone to step in and try to convince her to take it easy for a night they had dived out of the room from flying objects and threats of tasers and third world countries. Elise was pissed and it was getting ugly.

"Okay. So…Operation Take Captain Down is underway." Billy nodded. "Anyone got a taser gun?"

Lester silently held up the taser gun. "FYI, this doesn't get back to RangeMan. This is to the death."

"Dude." They all nodded in agreement.

"Elise." Randy walked into the conference room first.

She didn't look up at him. "What?"

"Find anything useful?"

"Not yet. We need to get started scouring the different areas he's likely to be hiding." She said. "Damn." She slammed her fist down on the table. "If Trev were here he'd be able to sketch a picture of the bastard for us."

"Elise you've been working four days with no sleep." Randy said. "You've got to get some rest."

"I can rest when this is over." She replied.

"You're not thinking clearly, Captain." Billy voiced from behind Randy.

She turned and faced all of them. "Care to explain that?"

"We're worried about your health." Alan said.

"Worried about my health." She repeated slowly. "We've been through missions that have been worse than this one, sleep was not an option and you're worried about my health now?"

"There are some hindrances in your judgment in this case." Darren said.

Before she had a chance to react she felt the cold metal and sharp zap. "Sonofa—!"

"That was easier than I thought it would be." Billy said looking down at their unconscious captain. "She's really running on nothing if we can get to her like this."

Randy nodded and picked her up. All the men filed out of the room and came face to face with Ranger and Julie. Ranger looked at his daughter in Randy's arms and raised an eyebrow at them.

"Poor thing just passed out at the table." Billy volunteered. "We decided to put her to bed for a while."

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Alan hide the taser gun behind his back. Ranger nodded and started on his way. Then he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "You might want to consider tying her down. When she wakes up from that she's going to be pissed."


	13. Acceptable Behavior

**AN: Thanks for the reviews everyone! Enjoy! Please Read and Review! Warms my heart to know people are enjoying what I've written!**

* * *

Chapter 13

_Acceptable Behavior._

Christopher came home for lunch. Cami sat on his left and Richard on his right. Cami fidgeted and barely at her food. She knew she was like her mother when it came to food. She simply enjoyed it. She also had her mother's metabolism and it didn't stay on her long. Cami also had her father's need to work out. But the last six and a half days she had been with Christopher she had lost so much of her appetite.

In all appearances he was being the perfect host. With the a few comments here and there on what was acceptable behavior she would never know she was an actual captive if she didn't already know it.

Richard watched Cami carefully. He'd seen the deteriorating appetite and knew that Christopher's comments about bedroom noises were bothering her. She loved food, Richard could see that. Her eyes were looking at her lunch longingly and she would sneak a look at Christopher and he could almost see her body sag with defeat.

"Camille, how have you been filling your time these past days?" Christopher asked.

"There's nothing to do." She snapped out, hunger and fear winning over.

"I have a library that has a considerable amount of books you can look at."

"I'm not big on reading the Art of War." Cami said shortly.

"It is a good study. You need to read it."

"No."

"Camille, it is not wise for you for you to argue with me."

"There is nothing to do!" Her voice rose. "You're holding me captive in your fucking house and lecturing me on reading a damn book!"

"Watch your language!"

Cami stood up angrily. "And one more thing, you're not my parent! I have two of them who are worried sick about me! Don't sit there and lecture me and tell me to watch my damn language because of what you think is appropriate!"

Christopher stood and before Cami could dodge, he slapped her. She staggered back onto her seat and stared at him, eyes wide. She'd never been slapped by anyone. A hand went up to rub her cheek. Christopher moved again, but Richard was on his feet, one arm holding his brother back.

"Jesus Christ, Chris, she's not Elena!" Richard growled out. "Leave her alone!"

Christopher turned to look at him. The look on his face said that it had been unwise for Richard to restrain him. Richard could care less what would happen to him, but he wasn't going to let Cami be subject to Chris's temper.

"Remove your hand." Christopher said calmly.

"No."

The dining room doors had opened and three of his men had walked in. He looked at them. "Take Richard downstairs."

Cami looked at Richard. The look on his face was schooled to a blank, passionless, emotionless expression. The men who grabbed him and forcibly removed him from the room didn't hesitate to listen to their boss. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach. She knew Richard was paying a price for what she had done.

Christopher walked over and turned her chair. Bracing his hands on either arm of the chair he leaned down. "When I tell you something, you will listen. Disobeying me is not in your best interest. If you should do it again I will not be remiss in punishing you with more than a slap. Do you understand?"

Silently she nodded. He straightened, turned her chair back so that it faced the table. He looked down at her meal. "You haven't eaten. You need to eat. Young girls need their energy."

"I'm not very hungry." Cami whispered.

"Very well." Christopher nodded at the servants who came and took the food away. He looked at the remaining man and motioned for him. The other man came and grabbed Cami's arm, dragging her from the chair. Silently she let him take her back to her bedroom without complaint.

Her heart was aching at the thought that Richard was going to be hurt because of her. She had started this whole thing out knowing she would have to cooperate and play Christopher's game so she could find a way out, but it had been almost a week. She was feeling drained and couldn't understand why her family hadn't found her yet.

There had been one plus to being kidnapped she thought when she was shoved into her room and her door locked. Richard. He had been kind to her, had managed to counter Christopher's condescending comments, but still allowed her to be herself and to defend herself. She wasn't weak, and she could tell Richard knew that, especially after the first night he had baited her into slapping him.

Cami paced as she walked around. Richard was more a prisoner with his brother than she was when her dad was using tracers. Suddenly she had a strong appreciation for her father's overprotectiveness. If she'd gone out with one of the tracers they probably would have found her by now. But then they had never thought they would need the tracers just to run down the beach.

In the distance she heard a cry of pain. Tears filled her eyes as the sounds continued. Her heart clenched. She knew it was Richard. Shaking as sobs erupted she slowly crumpled to her knees and sobbed as she could hear the cries of pain coming. Cami cried until the she no longer heard Richard.

Sniffling she listened carefully. The windows were open and she heard a car door open and shut. When the roar of the engine interrupted the stillness outside, the lock on her door moved and she knew she was free.

Without thinking she raced out of the room and searched frantically for Richard. She found him in the kitchen.

"Richard?" She whispered carefully.

He turned and looked at her. His face betrayed none of the pain he had just been dealt. His brother was good with pain and making it look like nothing had happened. "Cami."

"Richard, I am so sorry." Cami hurried forward and without thinking wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

He tensed briefly but relaxed and wrapped his own arms around her. "Better me than you."

She pressed her face to his chest shaking her head. "No. It's not right."

"Cami. Listen to me." He lifted her chin and looked in her eyes. "I grew up being beaten by my brother. I'm used to it. You're not. You said it yourself, you have a great family dynamic. I'm sure neither of your parents raised a hand to you in anger. I'm not going to let him hurt you more than he already has. He didn't do anything that bad."

"But I heard your cries."

"It echoes loudly down there." Richard shrugged. "Plus the window was open. Chris was using that to make sure you would behave instead of acting out."

"I hate him." Cami whispered fervently.

"That makes two of us." His arms wrapped around her again. They stood there for several minutes basking in each other's comfort. His chin rested on the top of her head. She felt like heaven and he was just holding her. The last week, despite being prisoner, had been wonderful because he had been able to spend time with her. _She _was wonderful.

Cami pulled back and looked up at him. Her eyes dropped to his mouth. Gently she reached up and caressed his cheek, which was bearing a couple days' worth of beard. His green eyes darkened as she leaned her face upward.

"Cami…this is a bad idea." He whispered.

"Why?" Her head angled as she looked at him.

"Because I've wanted a taste of you since I met you. If I get a taste I'm going to want more."

"I'm not stopping you."

He growled as his lips crushed hers. Cami couldn't contain the moan that slipped out of her as his tongue met hers. He was _delicious_. He was like her own personal drug and she wanted to have more of him. Richard picked her up and set her on the island in the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against his hard body. Her hands tangled in his hair as one of his hands slid up her leg. She was intoxicating and he was right. He wanted—needed—to have more of her.

Someone clearing their throat interrupted them. Richard broke away from Cami's mouth and glared at the intruder. "What?"

"My kitchen is _not _the place for that." Cami turned her face to see a middle aged woman walking calmly in.

"Maria." Richard growled holding Cami close to him.

"They made bedrooms for just that reason." Maria said, tsking slightly. "You asked to cook in here. I'm assuming you meant food."

"Yes, Maria." Richard's lips turned up in a small grin.

"Then I suggest you cook food." Maria turned and left the room, not before pausing and giving Cami a quick assessing look. She nodded her head in approval and kept leaving.

"She likes you."

"She doesn't know me."

"But she knows me." Richard grinned.

"Richard, I meant it when I said I hate your brother." Cami said as he untangled themselves.

"So did I." He kissed her again, this time softly. He walked to the fridge and pulled out bread and cheese. Cami watched in interest as he began making them a meal.

"He did his research." Cami said thoughtfully. "It's like he was expecting to make me a permanent fixture here in his house. He's got my clothes size, shoe size…hell even the kind of…" Her voice trailed off and she flushed.

"Your kind of…" Richard wasn't looking at her as he made the grilled cheese sandwiches.

"My birth control." She whispered.

"Birth control?" He stilled. "Why would you have that? Do you...um…" Shit, he didn't want to ask about her sex life, but he couldn't help wondering.

"No. I've never had sex." She answered the question he seemed to be struggling with. "But there are medical advantages to having birth control, so I use it."

"Oh."

"We just had lunch." Cami said as he brought two sandwiches over.

"No. I just had lunch. You didn't eat anything." Richard handed one to her. "I'm not going to let my brother break you. Eat."

Heat rose to her cheeks as she bit into the sandwich. Her eyes lit up. It was really good. A tiny moan snuck out. She saw Richard grin as he quietly ate his own. After a few minutes, she saw him shift uncomfortably. She gave him a quizzical look.

"Um…bedroom noises." He muttered trying to avoid giving away how hard he was.

"What…oh…oh!" Cami blushed as her eyes took in the bulge in his pants.

They finished their meals in silence, watching each other. There was a comfort to being there with one another. Her body was on fire just from the smoldering look he was giving her. No, she'd never had sex, but she knew it was supposed to be with the right person. And something deep inside her told her she was looking at the right person. The idea of sleeping with a virgin usually put him off, but the thought of anyone having her that intimately other than himself made a beast deep inside him come to life.

"Cami." Richard came forward to her again. He kissed her deeply until both of them were struggling for air. He tangled a hand in her hair. "Cami, you're mine. I don't share."


	14. Dinner Party and Salsa

****

AN: And another chapter is here! Something is glitching with my Traffic option, so I'm not entirely sure how many people are actually reading this, but I hope more people will review! It's a bit of a reassurance, weird as it might sound. So, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 14

_Dinner Party and Salsa_

"Why would you need to share me?" Cami whispered.

Richard's hands pulled her tightly against him. "There's a dinner tonight. So I'm told. We're both expected to be there and on our best behavior."

"He kidnaps me and is going to throw a dinner party?" She raised an eyebrow. If her mother had seen her she would have commented on the fact that she looked like Ranger at that moment. "Isn't he concerned that someone will recognize me?"

"I don't think they will." Richard admitted. He slid his arms around her. Holding her was just right in his mind. Despite his body's demands that he take her and make her his and make him hers he couldn't help but just hold her. "None of them are likely to be familiar with your family."

"Are you sure? We've got _a lot _of connections."

"I overheard him talking. He wasn't concerned about you being there. If he had any inclination that someone who knows your family would be there, you'd be locked up for the night."

"Maybe I should get in trouble so I can be locked up." She said sullenly. That was much more appealing than being paraded around a bunch of strangers by a man who kidnapped her and seemed to have a case of Jekyll and Hyde.

Richard's grip on her tightened almost painfully. "No."

"I was joking." Cami whispered. His grip didn't let up. Looking up at him, she cupped his face in her hands. "I promise. I was only joking. It was a poor one. I'm sorry."

He let out a sigh and rested his forehead against hers. "No. I'm sorry. You shouldn't be here. I can't figure out why he took you, but I'm going to get you back to your family. I don't care what it takes."

"You'll come with me, right?" She searched his face for an answer.

Richard stared at her, his face betraying no emotion. "I'll get you back to your family, no matter what it takes."

"Richard." Cami's voice softened. "Please tell me you'll be coming with me. You don't deserve what he's done to you. My family can help you. We've got ways…"

He let go of her. "I told you I'll get you back to your family."

"Richard!"

"Cami."

"God, you're stubborn!" She huffed, getting off the island.

"I'm doing what has to be done."

"Oh my god, you're just like—" One of her hands clamped over her mouth as her eyes widened at the sudden revelation.

"I'm just like who?"

"No one." She whispered unwilling to say it out loud.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "Cami."

"Rick."

"My mother used to call me that." Richard smiled.

"Oh, if you don't want me to call you that because it's special between you and your mother, I'll use your full name." Cami offered.

"I don't mind if you call me that." He came forward and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I like the way it sounds coming from you." Richard kissed her. "Who am I like?"

"No one!" Cami exclaimed and bolted from the kitchen. No way was she going there! Right now she had to go convince herself that she was wrong. Deny, deny, deny! That was going to be a good philosophy for a bit.

As she ran through the house, she turned a corner and ran straight into Christopher. She staggered back and fell onto her butt. He looked down at her and frowned. "It is unladylike to run in the house." He reached down and helped her up. "If you insist on running, take it to the gym and use a treadmill."

"Okay." She murmured trying to get around him. He caught her by the elbow and turned her to face him.

"We are having a dinner party tonight. You need to make yourself very presentable." Christopher instructed.

"Um…how presentable?" She asked tentatively. After this afternoon's actions, she was going to do what she could to make sure that Richard wasn't hurt again on her account.

"There are nice dresses in your closet." He answered. "I will send Maria to help you."

Cami nodded and when he released her, she walked briskly to her room. Yep, she thought, Christopher was definitely crazy. Holding firm to her resolve from earlier, she hurried into the bathroom and took a shower, making sure she was clean and ready for anything.

She was standing in her closet looking for a dress when Maria arrived. "Christopher will not be pleased if you take too long." Maria quickly chose a deep blue dress with a heart shaped neckline. It was strapless and simple and came down to her knees. Cami was silent as Maria helped her into it.

While Maria had her sit so she could do her hair and makeup she thought of her family. Actually, she thought of her family a lot. They would all be franticly worried about her. If there was a way to get a message to them so they could help her and Richard, she would take the chance. The problem was that she couldn't figure out where Christopher spent most of his days. She had considered the possibility of secret passageways. If he was archaic the way Rick suggested, then it was likely he might be interested in something like that. But if he was, Cami thought, then it was a matter of finding a way in. She let out a small sigh.

It seemed odd, she thought, that she would be kidnapped and treated like a guest…with restrictions. She had heard stories of her mother getting kidnapped and she usually had the crap kicked out of her. Some of the stories her uncles had shared about her father told her that he had been beaten up pretty bad if he had been caught by the enemy. But the worst thing to happen to her was being slapped. It had happened once. She was not planning on repeating that again. Rick had been right when he commented on the fact that her parents had never raised a hand to her in anger.

She had grown up being told to think for herself. To have her own mind and not let people form opinions for her. Her parents had punished them when it was needed, which on occasion was more frequently than she'd like to admit. They had punished them in ways that were appropriate to the crime, she reflected. It was good punishment. Of course, now that she was the only one living at home, she was watched more. It had been better when CJ was living there too. They would have each other's backs. She had covered for CJ when he was sneaking out on a date that he wasn't supposed to be on. Although, now that she thought about it, he had been punished for that one since Elise had come home from her first mission and was still on edge from it. Her parents weren't aware that she had seen what happened but she had and it gave her a little more understanding than she dared to admit.

But the one thing she knew her parents were absolutely firm on was not to let anyone try and bend her to their wills. So far Christopher had effectively done so by making it difficult for her to eat. She knew tonight was going to be tough. With her mother's love for food, and the fact that Maria was a wonderful cook, she was going to have her work cut out for her. If nothing else she could focus on Rick and hopefully get through the dinner. She didn't want to have him interrupt if she made problems and Chris decided to punish her for them. Rick didn't deserve what would happen.

Her cheeks flushed ever so slightly at the thought of Rick and what he had done to her in the kitchen. Oh boy. He didn't seem fazed by the fact that she was a virgin. In fact it seemed like he was more determined to make her solely his at that news. She knew she was young but she also knew that love struck when it had to. They'd only known each other a week, but she couldn't help the way she felt. They might not know everything about each other, but she wanted to learn everything about him, emotionally, intelligently, physically. Her father had admitted to falling for her mother the moment he saw her walk into the diner. Even though he gave the attitude of killing any man who touched his girls, Cami knew he wanted them to find what he and Stephanie had. But what would he think, she wondered, about his youngest child finding it so soon in her life? She hoped he would be understanding, even though a small voice in the back of her head said it was unlikely at first, especially since Rick was five years older than herself.

"There now." Maria interrupted. "You're finished."

Cami looked at herself in the mirror and was surprised by the final look. She looked very beautiful. Her eyes, which always stood out against her skin, looked like sapphires. Her hair was piled on top of her head with several strands pulled free that curled up, caressing her neck softly.

"Oh my." She said softly.

"Now you must head downstairs and behave." Maria said looking at her seriously. "It will keep you alive."

Cami met Maria's eyes and both held an understanding in them. Cami nodded and silently made her way down to the large dining room. As she walked she told herself to pretend this was one of the dinner functions her parents had taken her to. She could be charming and polite and elegant. It was the chameleon inside her, Stephanie liked to tease. She got it from her father. She could show people what they expected without giving her real self away.

Entering the dining room her neck immediately began tingling. Her fingers reached up and touched her neck as her eyes fell on Rick. Her mouth watered the moment she saw him. In a semi-formal wear he was luscious. He was sexy just in casual clothes, but putting him the current clothes he was wearing…he looked dangerously sexy. She suddenly wanted to get her hands on him and drag the beast out of him.

It took all her willpower to stay exactly where she was. When his eyes met hers she could see his eyes turn into emeralds at the sight of her. She gave him a small smile.

"Camille, you look lovely." Christopher walked over and kissed her cheek. "Come, I want to introduce you to some of my associates."

_Let's go Chameleon, _she thought as she was led towards a group of men.

"Drake, this is Camille, she is a guest of mine for the duration." Chris introduced.

Drake took her hand in his and kissed the back of it. "Camille, you're a lovely vision for a bunch of middle aged men."

"Oh, sir, you're still young yet." Camille replied with a smile.

"What a delightful thing to hear." Drake laughed.

Thirty minutes late they were all sitting down to their respective seats at the large dining room. Her parents would be proud of the show she had just put on, she thought smugly as she looked across from her at Rick. He inclined his head as he reached for his glass of wine. Sipping it he eyed her as though trying to figure out an enigma.

She would have preferred to have Rick sitting next to her, but she knew Christopher would not allow that to happen. As their meals were placed before them, she looked at hers nervously. She felt something nudge her foot. Looking up, she saw Rick giving her a reassuring look. Cami knew as long as he was there, she would get through this mess.

As they ate, she tried to pick up on something that might give her a clue as to Chris's businesses. Mostly it was talk about families and vacations. Frustration was beginning to bubble inside her. She needed something, but it seemed that all that was going to happen while she was around was family talk.

"Tell me, Camille," Drake was sitting on her left, "How long will you be staying with Christopher?"

"Oh, I haven't decided yet. I'm having too much fun." She smiled through the lie. She saw Chris's face out of the corner of her eye and saw the smile of satisfaction on her face. Inwardly she was ready to jump down the table and claw his eyes out.

"We'll be doing business with him for quite some time, so perhaps you and I will get the chance to spend some time together." Drake said easily.

"Well, that sounds wonderful!" Cami exclaimed with a grin. She could see Richard's knuckles turning white around his fork.

"Christopher," Drake called down the table. "This young woman is a delight. She reminds me of Elena!"

Elena. Richard had mentioned her earlier in the day, Cami remembered. Was that the name of their sister, she wondered. And if it was, could it be possible that Christopher had taken her for the sole purpose of replacing her?

"There are definite similarities." Christopher agreed. "Gentlemen, now that we've finished eating, we should move on to discuss our business." He rose. Everyone rose with him. He walked over to Richard and Cami. "You're finished here tonight." He said quietly.

"Brother," Richard replied quietly, "seeing as how both of us behaved without incident, perhaps you'd consider opening the Entertainment Room for us. We need something more to do than read. Visual stimulation would be nice."

"Of course." Christopher said. "It'll be open for you in a moment. I trust that I won't hear from either of you for the rest of the night." He turned and walked away.

"Camille, it was wonderful to make your acquaintance." Drake grinned and kissed her cheek, missing the deadly glare he was receiving from Richard.

"It was a pleasure!" She beamed at him.

When everyone was gone, she turned and looked at Richard. "You've got an ugly green monster sitting on your shoulder."

"I don't want him touching you." Richard said. "You were extremely smooth and polished tonight." He tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and led her to the entertainment room.

"Of course. I am a chameleon." She said deadpanned. At his glance, she explained, "My mother says I'm like my father. I can give off what I want people to see and keep the other parts from surfacing."

"And how often do you have to do that?" He asked.

"More often than anyone would believe." She confessed. "My parents aren't aware that I don't have many friends at school. Most of them are the honorary cousins I have."

Richard stopped outside a door and looked down at her. "How could you not have a lot of friends?" She seemed too likeable for people to not want to be friends with her.

As he opened the door, she said, "Because most of people I go to school with want to know what I can do for them."

They walked into the room. There was a large flat screen TV on one wall and a music player on the other. A large plush couch stood in the middle of the room. It was cozy. It looked like the most comfortable room here.

"They want you to buy their friendship." Richard said bluntly.

"Yep."

"And you're not willing to do that?"

"If they can't like me for who I am rather than how rich my parents are then they aren't worth my time." She said flippantly walking around the room inspecting it.

Richard nodded as he walked over to the music player. He flipped through several CDs before finding one he liked. Slipping it into the player he turned back to Cami. "Good for you. Now, I have another question for you."

"Okay."

"Do you know how to Salsa?"

Cami's head fell back as she laughed. "Rick, my father's Cuban. Of course I can Salsa."

"Good." He stalked over to her and caught her hand. The music started playing and in moments their hips were moving together, their bodies losing themselves in the beat. Their hands began roaming slowly, but the more they danced to the music, the more they explored. Richard kissed her gently at first but it quickly became more urgent as she returned everything he gave.

Forced to come up for air, they both took heavy breaths as they held each other. Cami looked him in the eyes and whispered, "Rick, will you make love to me?"


	15. Love and Leverage

**AN: Here is another chapter for your reading pleasure! Thanks for those that have reviewed! It's a wonderful pick me up! Please R&R!**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

_Love and Leverage_

Richard pulled back and looked at her carefully. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She nodded. Tears filled her eyes. "I want to feel tonight. I just want to feel loved and not like a prisoner. I want to know this is real and when I wake up you'll still be there." Because if you don't come with me when it's all over, she thought painfully, then this will be all we can have.

"Yes." He murmured kissing her. He pulled her out of the room and quickly led her to her bedroom. Richard shut her door and grabbed a chair from a nearby vanity and braced it under the handles. The doors locked from the outside, but if someone decided to come in, he'd make it more difficult for them to get in.

Turning back to Cami he saw her watching him, her eyes filled with love and desire. Her lips were swollen from their earlier kisses and as he came close to her again her eyes darkened until they were deep pools of blue. Richard ran his hands up her silky arms and shoulder, resting against her neck. Their eyes never leaving the other, he reached up and pulled out the pins holding her hair on top of her hair. Cami shivered with delight at the feel of his hands tangling in her waves as he brought their lips together again. His fingers caressed her bare back softly, igniting a fire deep inside her. She moaned softly.

Her fingers shaking, she pulled his shirt out of the waistband of his slacks and let her hands touch the abs and chest she'd been fantasizing about since she laid eyes on him. She loved the way he felt under her hands. Her nails lightly grazed his abs earning her a deep growl from him. Cami's body heated up at the sound and frantically, she was yanking his shirt off him.

Richard chuckled softly and pulled back to dispose of his shirt. They stood a few feet apart, ragged breaths coming from them. Cami took in his washboard abs and licked her lips as she met his eyes. He was looking at her with a hunger she'd never known existed in someone. In seconds he had her back in his arms. Lacing kisses along her jaw, neck and shoulders, he worked the back of her dress until it pooled at her feet.

Cupping her breasts gently, he watched as her head fell back as his thumbs ran over the nipples. He couldn't wait to taste her. Picking her up he laid her on the bed, coming down with her. When his mouth took in one of her nipple, Cami gasped out his name and tangled her hands in his hair. He lavished attention to her breasts and slowly made his way farther down. Coming to the top of her panties, he lifted his head to look at her. Her whole body felt like it was throbbing beneath his hands. Her arms were above her head in tiny little fists. She met his eyes and smiled. With a wicked grin to his lips, he removed her panties.

"Richard!" She cried out as his tongue slipped in to taste her. Her moans drove him wild. Her body writhed beneath him. He could feel her coming close. He needed to be in her as she came. When his tongue left her, she let out a moan of frustration, causing him to chuckle.

"Patience." He murmured shedding the rest of his clothes.

Her eyes widened at the size of him. Would he fit, she wondered briefly, then didn't care. She just wanted to feel him in her. Her body was screaming for him. Richard met her lips against. She could feel him at her entrance.

"Cami." He gasped out when her hands reached down to touch him. "Baby, this is going to hurt."

"I know." Cami kissed him softly and lifted her hips unconsciously. "I trust you."

The unwavering trust she had shattered him. Gripping her hip with one hand, he thrust into her fast and hard. Cami cried out at the new invasion, her nails digging deep into his back. He buried himself completely in her. She was so tight, he thought through his haze, so right, so perfect. So his.

They paused in their position. He wanted her to get use to him. The feeling of utter completion had them both losing themselves in one another. Suddenly she wiggled her hips, causing him to groan. "Baby…" Her lips caught his and he knew he had to move. His thrusts started slowly, allowing her to get used to him, but all too soon she was gaining an impatient look on her face.

"Harder." She whimpered.

"I don't want to hurt you." He growled as he tried to control his thrusts, despite his body's demand he take her hard and fast. "I want to be gentle."

"You're not gentle." Cami murmured caressing his cheek. "I want you to be you."

Those words were his undoing. His body took over needing to claim his mate. Her soft moans and gasps drove him harder as his body thrust in and out of her deeper and deeper. Her nails continued down his back dragging the beast she wanted out of slumber. He was alive and full force. Knowing he was hitting her g-spot with his hard thrusts, he wanted her to come hard, and reached between them. His fingers flicked across her clit, extracting deeper moans from him. Her body was quivering beneath him, she was tightening around him more than he thought possible.

"Let go, baby." He murmured in her ear. "Fly with me."

The orgasm that surged through her brought a scream to her lips that Richard swallowed as his own body emptied itself deep in her. He collapsed on top of her, burying his face in her neck, breathing in her scent.

"Oh god…" Cami's heart beat was hammering against her chest wildly. She wrapped her arms around Richard. "That was…amazing."

"Mm-hmm." He mumbled in her neck.

"Rick… I can't breathe." She said.

Richard pulled out of her slowly and rolled to his back, bringing her to rest on his chest. "It'll be better next time."

"It gets better?" Her voice held wonderment. Everything had felt so right, so wonderful, so perfect she was surprised by his words.

He paused before saying, "It won't hurt next time."

"Oh." She snuggled into him. A lot of the friends or class mates that had talked to her said how painful and awful their first times were, but she didn't feel that way. She felt beautiful and sexy. Her body still hummed from her orgasm.

They lay there for a while before Richard remembered something and rose from the bed. Walking to the bathroom he grabbed a washcloth and got it damp. He walked back to Cami and gently pried her legs apart. He cleaned the blood off her that had come with taking her virginity. Cami thought she would be embarrassed but watching him care for her like this was a huge turn on. He noticed the shift in her body and looked up and smiled.

…

Outside Cami's bedroom door, Christopher listened to the heated moans that came from inside the room. A grin came to his lips. Oh this was too perfect, he thought. His brother was tough to control at times, but since he found Cami it looked like he would have all the leverage he would need to make Richard behave.

For too long Richard has run around wild, he thought walking away from the bedroom. He didn't seem to understand that Christopher took a lot of risks to make sure he stayed alive. He had promised their father he would take care of his young brother. He had failed with Elena, but he would not fail with Richard.

Drake was correct when he said there were several similarities between Elena and Camille. It had been part of the reason he had taken her. There was a small physical resemblance as well, but that point was moot. Camille was leverage he needed and apparently she would suit his purposes for multiple leverages. Richard would do anything to keep her from being subject to justified punishments. He had seen that first hand this afternoon when Richard had interfered with his lesson toward Camille.

However, he was sure he'd gotten through to her when he had taken Richard down below and beaten him for interfering. He knew Richard's cries would be heard outside. He had become very good at taking punishments, Christopher reflected. Too good and it seemed he would have to use another tactic to make sure Richard understood he was not in a position to challenge Christopher. Of course, given that Richard didn't have any idea who Camille really was made the situation all that much more sweeter. It would be interesting to see how Richard reacts to finding out Camille was Carlos Manoso's youngest daughter.

It wasn't that he had anything against Manoso personally. From what he had gathered from his source, he was a shrewd businessman. Christopher could respect that, even admired it. But business was business and this was definitely what Camille was for him.

…

Richard woke up in the middle of the night to find Cami draped across him. A sheet was covering them at the waist. He could hardly believe the intensity of their lovemaking. He'd had sex before, both good and bad, but nothing could compare to what he and Cami shared. He had wanted this for the same reasons she had. If they never saw each other again after this ordeal, they'd been able to have time to love each other. He was just glad he'd been able to make her first time sweet and loving rather than painful as he knew it could be with girls.

Cami yawned and stretched, curling herself up into Richard's side. Her eyes opened slightly. "What are you doing awake?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He smiled.

"I wake up in the middle of the night a lot." She admitted. "I'm worried about my parents."

"I imagine they're just as worried about you." Richard replied.

"I know." Cami sighed. "But I'm also worried about my sister Elise. She was Special Forces in the Army until a few weeks ago. Her boyfriend is still there. I think it's hard for her not knowing where he is."

"Aren't you worried about yourself a little bit?"

She shook her head. "No. I should be, but…you've been protecting me and I know my family will find me."

"Cami, it's been a week." He murmured. "My brother may have covered his tracks a little too well."

Cami sat up and faced him. "You've heard of my family, so I know you _know _what my father is capable of just from stories you've heard." Her hands balled up. "My parents won't go stop fighting to find me. When they do, I'll make sure you come with me."

"Cami—"

"No." She shook her head again "I don't want to hear it. I have the utmost faith in my family. Christopher is going to learn real fast that you just don't fuck with my family and get away with it."

"Alright." He said and stayed silent pondering her statements. It was unusual to him, because the only person he had ever had to rely on was his mother and Christopher had taken her from him. To have that much faith in her family, to know they are coming for her was heartwarming, he realized. Shit, he thought, he'd forgotten what it was like to love someone until Cami had slapped him in the dining room the first night they'd met.

So, he would just have to have faith with her, he decided. If she was positive they were coming for her, then he would do what he had to help make that a reality.

Even if it meant losing her in the end.


	16. Counting and Phone Calls

**AN: Here is another chapter for everyone :-) Thanks for the wonderful reviews! Hope everyone enjoys this chapter as well! :-) **

* * *

**Chapter 16**

_Counting and Phone Calls_

Ten Days.

Two hundred and forty hours.

Fourteen thousand, four hundred minutes.

Eight hundred and sixty-four thousand seconds.

Ten sunrises and ten sunsets.

Ten breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

All of which Cami was missing.

Julie sighed and closed her eyes, desperately trying to keep herself calm. When Scrog had kidnapped her she had done something similar. Counting days, hours, minutes, everything she was missing. So in an effort to calm herself now she counted everything Cami was missing. She was missing the friendship that had formed between JJ and CJ, which surprised everyone, but those two more than anything. She was missing all the moments when the four of them could sneak out and give their dad a premature heart attack by turning off their trackers.

But now tension was running high. Ranger was furious with the lack of results. She had never seen this side to her father, but she could imagine it was the same side that had come out when she had been kidnapped by Scrog. Stephanie was having a hard time keeping herself together. Julie loved her mother even more when Rachel had shown up and simply sat with Stephanie when Ranger had been at RangeMan trying to find a solution. Stephanie had arrived at RangeMan later that day, eyes red rimmed but determination glittering brightly.

It was now taking more than just JJ to keep CJ in place at the house. Ranger had stationed at least two other guards at the house to make sure CJ stayed put. CJ was just as angry as his parents, perhaps more so because he didn't like the feeling of helplessness he was forced to endure thanks to his injuries. While JJ helped him work out as much as his injuries would let him, he couldn't actively help search for Cami. It grated on him that he could do nothing other than wait patiently for a word.

Julie was doing everything she could on her end. She was being there for her father and Stephanie, panicking as a sister would for her baby sister, and struggling to maintain a sense of calm when she had to be at RangeMan. There were literally no hints or threats or anything. That was the most infuriating part. There was nothing to indicate why Cami had been kidnapped. At least when she had been kidnapped, there had been something to go on, Julie thought sourly as she drove through the streets of Miami. She was being incredibly stupid right now and knew Ranger would let her have it when she got back to work.

The rule had been established. None of the Manoso's were to be without someone to watch their backs. But to do what she needed to do, she had to be alone and had to make sure her trackers were off. Oh yeah, she thought, Ranger was going to have a conniption when she got back. She just had to see if she could find out some information first.

She drove into the more gang-filled area of the city. Yep. Not only would Ranger have a conniption if he knew where she was, he'd have her under lock and key so fast she wouldn't be able to blink. Coming to her location, she parked the SUV and got out. Leaning back against the door, she crossed her ankles and folded her arms and waited.

And waited.

"Chica, you bad for business." A muscled Hispanic man came strutting over to her. She angled her head at him, waiting until he got closer. He leaned an arm against the window of the SUV next to her head. To a casual observer, it appeared a man was trying to woo a woman. From their perspective it was their way of watching each other's backs. Julie was angled enough to see behind him, despite his height on her.

"Don't worry, Abel, you're getting paid for today." Julie said.

"Am I getting paid for physical services?"

"No."

"Pity."

Julie didn't stop the laugh that snuck out of her. "I need information."

"Always with the information." He raised an eyebrow at her. "One of these days you're going to let me show you how to be real good in a gang. Lots of fun."

"There's a man I need information on."

"Not a good idea, chica. You got one angry dude looking at you."

"What?" Julie looked over her shoulder and saw one very angry Ranger glaring at her, arms folded over his chest. Even in his early fifties, Ranger still looked intimidating as hell.

"Oh fuck." She grumbled.

"Pimp daddy?" Abel asked. She could hear the laughter in his voice.

"No. Birth daddy."

"Of fuck." He replied.

"Yep."

Ranger walked over to them. He looked Abel up and down before turning his look to Julie. "Care to explain yourself?"

"Nope." She said defiantly and turned back to Abel. He raised his eyebrows at her. "I need information on someone."

"So you said."

"Heard of Marcus Cortez?"

"Everyone's heard of him." Abel replied.

"Where we can find him?" Julie said trying to quell the feeling of hope in her chest. If she had a chance at helping one of her sisters then she would.

"No one finds him. He finds you if he wants to." Abel cocked his head and eyed her. "You don't come down here often, chica. Cortez isn't someone to play with. What's he got you want?"

"How can I make him find me?" She pressed ignoring his question.

"That's the million dollar question." Abel shrugged. "No one knows, chica. He just does."

"Has he contacted you?" Ranger asked moving next to his daughter.

Abel looked at Julie when she nodded he turned back to Ranger. "He tries. I ignore him."

"If he's that dangerous, why would you go to the effort to ignore him?"

"He dangerous to be tangled with." Abel replied. "I keep my men in line. They're not foolish. Most of them want to live."

"If he contacts you can you let me know?" Julie asked.

"I'll do what I can."

"Oh, speaking of living," Julie smirked at Abel. "You might want to make sure you're little brother makes his court date this time."

"Shit, chica, you're really bad for business." Abel pushed himself off the car. Ranger caught sight of Julie quickly slipping something into Abel's pocket before he got too far from her.

"Abel." She called warningly.

"Yeah, yeah," He waved over his shoulder. "He'll be there. With fucking bells on."

Ranger turned to Julie. "Julie, I gave an order. I expect them to be followed."

"I needed to come down here, Dad." Julie replied. "I didn't think you'd actually let me come down here even with someone."

"You're right." He growled yanking the driver's door open and shoving her in. Julie sat there sullenly as he got into the passenger's seat. She pulled away and backtracked out of the neighborhood. "Damn it, Julie. I shouldn't have to come stalking after you."

"Stalking after me?" Julie gripped the wheel. "Dad, I'm being useless at RangeMan right now. You've got us all under lockdown without actually hauling us to a safe house. The only person who isn't is Elise. I don't know if it's because she's got training that is similar to yours or if it's because she won't come out of that fucking conference room, but I needed to do something to help one of my sisters! I can't do a damned thing in regards to Cami, but I knew talking to Abel about Cortez would be the best shot I had. So I took it."

Julie was speeding because she was getting so angry. Quickly she pulled off the highway and got to a beach. Shutting off the car, she hunched over the wheel and said softly, "She's been gone for fourteen thousand, four hundred minutes, Dad. If I don't have something to do I count things the way I did when Scrog had me."

She could feel his hand on her back as she broke down and cried. Felt it when he unbuckled her and carted her into his lap and held her the way he'd held any of his daughters when they'd needed their dad. Julie rested her head on his shoulder as she sobbed, feeling very much like a little girl who wanted her knight in shining armor daddy.

"This is hard on all of us." Ranger murmured. "But I should have thought sooner about how hard this would be for you especially."

"It's okay." She sniffled. "With Scrog you at least had something to work with."

"That doesn't make it any easier." He said hugging her tightly. "We'll find her, Jules. The bastard who took her is going to pay dearly for it as well."

"Yeah."

They sat there for several minutes while Julie calmed down. Finally she crawled off her dad and back into the driver's seat. The drive started out in silence but after a bit, Ranger asked, "Julie, why exactly are you telling Abel to make sure his brother is at the court on time? Catching the FTAs is part of our business."

Julie snickered. "Abel's brother will make this court date. In a few weeks he'll do something to put himself in jail again. Then he won't make the court date and we'll be called. Abel loses more money to his brother like that. Chances are he'll be the one walking him into the court."

…

Billy, Randy and Vic sat in the conference room with Elise. Kyle and Darren were out trying to locate information on Cortez. Elise sighed and collapsed in a chair, slouching down. They'd had nothing but dead ends. Right now she couldn't figure out what made Diggory and Dillon believe Cortez was even in the states.

"So we have nothing." Elise stated flatly. "If we can't find him then what makes them believe he's honestly here?"

"Because he's contacting gangs." Julie said stepping in the room with Ranger behind her. Elise looked at her and she continued. "You said Cortez likes going through all walks of life so I talked to one of my contacts. The gang world is very much aware of who Cortez is. He said Cortez contacts them."

"How?"

"No one knows." Ranger said. "He just does. Julie's contact is going to is going to inform us when he tries contacting him again."

Randy looked at Elise. "That's gotta make you feel good."

"Hm." Elise looked at the table. No, she thought, it didn't. All the reports from the men she'd read said he was readily accessible when people needed him. So why couldn't anyone locate him now? Frustration built, and she closed her eyes forcing it back.

"Elise?"

She turned her gaze back to her father and sister. "Yeah, that's good. It gives us more than we've been able to find so far. It's a starting point." She turned back to her men, "What's missing from these reports?"

"Captain?" Billy asked.

"When we went in there, according to your reports, we were supposed to be getting some valuable information to help take Cortez out. What I don't see in here is what, or where, that information is."

"When I got to you, you had already gotten the information, but you and Cortez had already met and fought." Randy lifted his shoulders. "I was aware of which way he had gone but I knew we needed to get you out of there."

"You didn't see any of the fight?" She asked.

Randy shook his head. "No. When I got you over my shoulder, you were coherent enough to say if he wasn't a sadist you'd love sparing with him because of his speed. The only thing I could assume then, and now, is that he's fast enough to give you a real tough challenge. Since he was able to injury you as badly as he did, I'd have to say he got too close one too many times."

"Where is that information?" Elise asked as her hand unconsciously went to the side where the scars were.

"We don't know." Vic said. "Only you do."

"Only I know. Great." She rolled her eyes and looked at the ceiling. Of course it was something only she would know. She would make sure the only person who could say anything would be her to keep others from getting tortured. Of course, with a head injury that wiped her mind clear of the entire fucking mission she had made sure no one, including herself, knew.

"Captain?" Billy called.

"What?"

"You have a safety deposit box here." He offered. "Perhaps there's something in there that might help?"

She lowered her eyes and looked at Billy. He was right. There was a strong possibility she might have put something in there. Of course if she had no memory of that mission… "It's possible, Billy, but unlikely. However, thanks to the reminder, I'll go check it out later."

Billy looked pleased with himself then said, "So, would you mind if we had a night on the town?"

She rolled her eyes. "Just try to stick around long enough to get the girl's name."

"I always stick around that long."

"He's right," Vic chuckled. "He just doesn't stick around long enough to find out how bad he was."

"Hey!"

"Dad," Elise looked at Ranger. "Are you and mom still going to that business dinner you were telling us about?"

"Why?"

"I'm thinking maybe if you go then you might pick up some information." Elise said.

Ranger nodded. "I'll talk to your mother." Elise was right, he knew. If Cortez was that versatile in his dealings then there was a strong chance he could have connections to some of the local businesses here. It would be a good idea to go. He would just have to convince Stephanie. Who knows, he thought, they could even pick up on something in regards to Cami if they were lucky.

He and Julie left leaving them alone in the room. Randy looked at Elise. "Captain, you doing okay?"

"Of course." She replied.

"Really?"

"Randy, if you guys try tasering me one more time, I'll have all of you buried before you can blink." Elise snapped out.

"Yes, ma'am." They all replied automatically.

A man knocked on the door and stuck his head in. "There's a call for you."

When he shut the door, she hit speaker on the phone that was kept in the conference room. "Yep."

"Hello, _Jaguar._"

Every man in the room froze. Elise's eyes moved to the phone. The familiar voice sent chills down her spine and she knew who it was without having to ask any of her men.

"Cortez."

A cool laugh met her reply. "Good. I was worried you wouldn't remember me."

"Hard to forget someone who leaves a mark on you." She said coldly.

"We have business to discuss you and I."

"I wasn't aware that we were associates."

"You have something that belongs to me."

"Do I now?"

"Do not play coy with me, Jaguar." Cortez growled. "I want what is mine back."

"You're a wanted man by two governments, Cortez." Elise said folding her arms over her chest. "You can't possibly expect me to hand over something that gets you away from them."

"It is exactly what I expect." He said. "If you want what I have that is yours."

"And what's that?"

"Your man."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"No?" There was a scuffling in the background and Trevor's voice came over the line. "Elise?"

"Trev…"

"Elise, don't give them the info." He rasped. She could hear the pain in his voice and knew he was in a lot of agony.

"Trevor!"

"I mean it," He growled out as something hit him. All of them in the room could hear it. "I mean it, Elise!"

"Now, Jaguar." Cortez was back. His voice moved like silk. "You have something that is mine. I have something that is yours. I do believe this makes us business associates. If you want to play coy, then it only means he suffers more." He chuckled. "I will leave you alone for a few days. Give you time to think."

He disconnected.

Elise reacted before she thought. She yanked the phone out of the wall.

"Hit the deck!" Billy shouted as they all dove out of the room.

The phone was still airborne when Elise pulled out her gun and unloaded all the rounds into it. For added measure she threw a knife at it, impaling it to the wall.


	17. An Overdue Breakdown

**AN: And another chapter for your reading pleasure! Thanks for the reviews and everyone reading it! The traffic problem seems to be fixed! I am super glad there are a lot of people enjoying this! **

* * *

**Chapter 17**

_An Overdue Breakdown_

Every man in RangeMan had their guns drawn toward the conference room. Randy, Victor and Billy were slowly pulling themselves to their feet. They were already angry that one of their brothers was being hurt by Cortez, but they were also worried about how someone they saw as their sister was reacting. The beauty of Elise, they had decided a long time ago, was her ability to act in a cool, calculating manner when the situation called for it.

Right now the situation called for it and she had snapped.

"Report!" Ranger barked at them when he and Julie arrived.

Julie looked in the conference room and made to go into it, but was stopped by Billy. "You don't want to go in there."

"She's my sister." Julie said, her voice brooking no argument.

"Not right now she isn't." Billy held his ground. He knew her family would want to be with her, but her military family, the men here with her, knew what she was capable of in the state she was in. She was deadly in battle, they all were, but there was a rage buried deep in Elise that she used when she was in battle. It helped her survive and it helped them survive as well.

"Sir, Cortez called." Randy said to Ranger. He quickly gave a brief overview of the conversation.

Ranger listened and nodded. He knew what he could expect if he walked into the room. He knew they would have to give Elise time to calm down. Julie was looking at him waiting for a sign that she could go in there. He shook his head at her. Looking at Randy, he said, "Close the door. The window is bulletproof so if she has to destroy anything, we should be safe."

"Dad!" Julie exclaimed.

"Julie." Ranger turned and led her away from the room. "Elise is not going to be in any condition to talk or be rationed with right now. We'll give her time to work through it."

"Will she?" Her voice was small.

"Yes." Ranger said. "She's a fighter. She'll work through it."

Stephanie was stepping off the elevator as she noticed the sudden level of tension in the area. When Ranger and Julie came up to her, she asked "What's happened?"

Grimly he told his wife what happened, and wrapped an arm around her to keep her from going to Elise. "Trust me, Babe. This isn't something you can help with."

She let Ranger take her into his office. He shut the door and locked it, leaving it to be just them. She fell into his arms and tightened her hold on him. "God, Carlos, I hate this!" Her body shook.

"I do too." He murmured, stroking her back reassuringly. They stood that way together for several minutes, soaking each other in, feeding off the minimal comfort they could provide. "I spoke to my contacts at the police station. No one has seen anyone who looks remotely like Cami in any way."

"I almost wish this were her acting out." Stephanie said against his chest. "It would give me a good reason to yell at her for scaring us, but my spidey sense is going off the charts." She leaned back to look at Ranger. "You said you wanted to talk to me on the phone."

"Elise thinks it would be a good idea for us to go the dinner." He said.

"What?"

"I have to agree. If Cortez works the way she says, we might find something out." He explained.

Stephanie narrowed her eyes at him for a moment and stepped out of his arms. Slowly she started nodding. "Yes, and there might be a chance…"

"I thought of that too." Ranger said.

She grinned at him. "It's been a long time since we went undercover."

"Yeah, Babe."

"And I bet," She said walking toward him, "That I can still get you worked up before the night is over."

"Mission accepted, Babe." He chuckled and caught her lips with his.

…

The utter fury coursing through her had her pacing around. Physically she was not strong enough to actually rip the room apart like she wanted to. The death of the phone would have to suffice.

Cortez had Trevor.

Trevor had told her not to give up the information.

Cortez had beaten him.

A low growl escaped her lips.

She wanted blood. She was ready to kill. The fog overruling her common sense was deafening. She could barely see anything. Her hands gripped a chair desperately. Long deep breaths were taken.

_Focus._

_Control._

_Reign in the rage._

_Bury it._

_Harness it when it was needed_.

Elise felt herself snap back into reality. Glancing at the clock she was surprised that two and a half hours had passed by. Usually she was better at controlling her anger, but when she heard Trevor's voice she had lost it.

Gingerly she walked over and opened the conference room door. Well, at least they hadn't locked her in, she thought gratefully. She looked around. Some of the men looked at her, gave her a nod of greeting and returned to their tasks. Most of them had been military, so she could imagine they knew what was going on.

"Elise?"

She turned. Julie was walking up to her carefully.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm thirsty."

Her sister nodded and hurried to the kitchen. She brought back two water bottles. Elise let Julie lead her back into the room. She took a good drink from the bottle. Julie sat on the table watching her.

"So…can you be human for a minute and tell me what's going on?" Julie said when Elise sat next to her.

Elise looked surprised then gave a thoughtful look. Yeah, she could see how her actions lately had given the impression of a robotic attitude. Getting up she closed the door and sat next to her sister. She took a deep breath and said, "I've never snapped like that, Jules. I've always maintained a good sense of self control. I can't afford to snap like that whenever I'm out in battle. But this time…"

"This time it has to do with Trevor." Julie said taking a sip of water. "It's okay to be human, Elise. Perhaps Dad would be better to talk to since he would know what it's like, but from what I can see, you're used to turning off your emotions." She grinned at Elise. "You've always been the observer. Even growing up, but now that you're a key player and your heart is being held by Cortez, you don't know what to do."

Elise stared at the floor and nodded, tears coming to her eyes. She didn't bother to wipe them away when they slipped down her cheeks. She pulled her legs up to her chin. "I hate this. I hate the not knowing. You know he's going to give me a few days to think about giving him information? Smug son of a bitch. I have no idea how much more Trevor is going to be put through but I hate that I'm the cause of it."

"You're not the cause of it." Julie said forcefully. "You were sent in on a mission and you did what you had to do. What you were ordered to do. Cortez is bent out of shape because he lost. Since you were key in the extraction of whatever was needed, he's taking it out on you. If someone is to blame, then blame the guys who sent you on that mission. If it had been someone else, I'm sure they would be targeted too."

"Perhaps." Elise murmured. She swallowed against the lump in her throat.

"It's in your nature." Julie said finally.

"What's in her nature?" They looked over their shoulders and saw Ranger and Stephanie in the room. Ranger was closing the door. Stephanie looked at Elise and walked over. She cupped her cheek and brushed her hair away from her face.

"It's in her nature to try and protect." Julie replied.

"Yes, that's true." Stephanie agreed. "You've been doing it since you were five."

"Since I was five?"

"Yes," She grinned, "When you were five, you decided you were going to go to work with me."

"To protect you from the bad man." Elise whispered, remembering the moment. The rest of the day came back to her. "Dad came to your office for lunch. After lunch, you…you pulled me into your lap and told me if something happened with the bad man that I had to be brave. That Dad and my uncles would protect me." Her body shook suddenly and a long overdue dam broke free. "Oh god, Mom, I don't know how to be brave anymore."

Stephanie held her as she cried. Looking at Ranger with tears in her eyes, her husband crawled onto the table and held her with Stephanie. Julie walked over to the window and shut the blinds. Something told her that having anyone see this moment would be a bad idea.

Husband and wife looked at each other, realizing for the first time that Elise had kept herself quiet and observant to keep herself brave. It had always been survival mode for her. She grew up healthy and loved, but when things got tense she turned on the instincts to survive. She would let herself be seen for who she was with people who loved her, like her family, but that was it.

Her body shook violently, taking the time to have the meltdown that had been on the backburner for so long. Her soul wanted to cleanse itself and in her weakened moment it was taking the time to purge itself and get the grief and agony that fueled the anger out of her. The rage lay dormant, waiting for its intended victim, but the grief of loss had caught up to her and was ripping through her mercilessly.

It seemed to go on forever. Her body felt like it was drained from everything. Her parents holding her was the only thing keeping her upright. Her head was beginning to throb. Finally she just lay there, in the comfort of Stephanie and Ranger's arms, sniffling occasionally.

Julie brought over a bottle of aspirin and offered it to her. "Thanks." She muttered.

"Elise, do you want us to take you home?" Stephanie asked. "Some rest might help."

"I'll go home tonight." She said. "But I still have some work I need to get done here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"And you mean home, not going to four?" Stephanie asked hopefully.

"I'll be home." Elise smiled at her mother.

"Good." Stephanie stood and grinned at her daughter. "Thanks to your decision to send your father and I on a covert mission at a dinner he's being honored at, I have to find something to wear."

Elise laughed. "Didn't you bring something with you?"

"Yes." Stephanie nodded. "But it's turned into a dual mission. I'd rather not have to go into details."

Elise and Julie groaned.

"Babe."

"Batman."

He shook his head. "You never disappoint."

…

Elise had cornered Billy and was circling him on the mats. He was eyeing her nervously. He wasn't sure what was going on his Captain's head, but something looked calmer in her eyes. He couldn't tell if that meant she was good to go or if the Jaguar in her was coming out to play. Usually they knew, there was something predatory that came to her face when she was in that mode.

She threw the first move, he blocked and she came in for another shot. Again he blocked. When he turned quickly for his own attack he caught in her in the temple accidently. Elise staggered back, shaking her head. Her eyes became unfocused.

"Shit, Captain! Are you okay?" Billy asked coming over to her.

Elise shook her head and backed away from him.

Randy and Victor had been sparring a ways away from them and noticed the sudden change. "Captain?"

Something was cracking. A wall blocking needed memories. The pain was _excruciating. _She staggered, trying to get away from everyone, but the only thing that succeeded in happening was falling to her hands and knees. She gasped out at the pain as it continued to intensify.

"Shit." Randy raced to an intercom and paged the medical area. "Alan, Bobby! We need you in the gym! Now!"

Elise let out an agonized scream that could be heard on several floors. She clutched her head as the pain seared through so intensely that her body couldn't take it any longer and she passed out.

"What happened?" Bobby demanded as he and Alan arrived and got to her unconscious form.

"We were sparring." Billy explained. "I accidently caught her in the head and she suddenly went down."

"I bet he triggered the memories." Alan said as they looked her over.

"I think you're right." Bobby agreed.

"Oh, god!" Stephanie exclaimed when she entered the gym to see what happened. She rushed to her daughter's side.

"She's going to be okay." Bobby told her. "We'll need to get her home so she can rest."

Stephanie nodded and looked up. Ranger walked over and picked Elise up. She looked at Julie, "Get her things. She'll be home for the night."

...

Elise groaned as she opened her eyes. The lamp beside her bed was lit. Ranger sat beside her bed. "Munchkin. How are you doing?"

"I'll be good as long as I never lose my memory again and have it suddenly forced back." She winced as she sat up. Rubbing her head. "Good news is Diggory will finally get my report on that blasted mission."

Ranger let out a bark of laughter. "Good to hear. Billy is worried I'm going to send him to a third world country for this."

Elise smiled. "Hold onto that threat for a bit, would ya? It'll probably keep him in line for a while."

"Do you have the intel you need to track Cortez better?" Ranger asked.

"Yeah, mostly. I still can't remember what I did with the information I snagged out of his computers, but other than that, I can go up against him again." She grinned. "The boys will like seeing Jaguar come out to play again."


	18. Revealing Dinners

**AN: I don't own them, I'm just playing. Enjoy the chapter, and please please review! :-D**

* * *

**Chapter 18**

_Revealing Dinners_

The night of the dinner was here. Stephanie and Ranger had arrived earlier and were shown their seats. Ranger had decided it was a bad idea to come. First, there was the fact that his wife was wearing a delicious sexy little number. Second, was also the fact that she had informed him what she was _not _wearing beneath it. _Focus soldier! _He ordered himself for the umpteenth time. Unfortunately a different soldier in him kept having a different say.

Stephanie smiled, knowing exactly what he was going through. It had always been a delicious form of foreplay for them when they had done things like this when they were younger. There was a comfort in knowing that something like this still worked.

…

Christopher and Richard walked into the large dining room together. Richard couldn't believe he was stuck coming to this dinner with his brother. He had no reason to be here, but Christopher had set out a persona for his little brother and was determined to make him play the game the way he wanted. Richard didn't know how Chris figured out something was going on between him and Cami, but he had definitely used it against him tonight to make him come with him. The implication that he would hurt her if Richard didn't behave and attend the dinner.

So here he was, walking next to his brother, pretending to be the playboy Chris made him out to be. He could get through the night, he was sure of it. Perhaps if he thought about Cami… no, he decided when he felt his body responding, thinking about Cami was definitely not going to be a good idea.

Richard had discovered she had quite an appetite when it came to sex. Once the initial soreness wore off, she was insatiable. She seemed to have more energy than he thought. Most women who had sex with him could only take one, maybe two, rounds with him. Cami could keep up with him for multiple rounds. Of course the fact that she found a Kama Sutra book hidden away in Christopher's library only added to the rounds. Her curiosity left them both breathless and well sated.

When she had seen him dressed in his tux for the evening she looked like she was going to rip it right off him. She was frustrated that Chris wouldn't let her come. All he had said to either of them was that it was not in his interest to have her there.

Richard glowered at his back as they found their table. There was a couple already there. Richard nearly did a double take when he recognized the features of his lover sitting in the two people he and Chris were seated with.

"Mr. and Mrs. Manoso." Chris grinned as Ranger shook his hand. "Good to see you again. This is my brother Richard."

"Hello, Richard." Stephanie smiled as he took her hand.

"Ma'am." The devil inside Richard was dancing so hard he thought he'd physically burst into dance. Chris was unaware of the fact that his brother knew exactly who Cami's parents were.

Another couple joined them. Richard was familiar with them. Eric Travers and his daughter Leona were sitting with them. Travers's wife was unable to attend due to an illness, but Leona had readily agreed to accompany her father. Travers was a known womanizer, and Leona was usually sent to keep an eye on him when her mother couldn't attend functions. Tonight though, she had been told Richard would be attending, and just like several other young women here, she was eyeing him like a prized cow.

"Richard, what do you do?" Stephanie asked kindly.

"Cause trouble." He replied without thinking. He was eyeing the exits, trying to come up with a strategy.

Chris laughed and clapped him on the back. "That he does. I can barely keep track of him. I have better luck finding the women he's been with than I do him. But when you're that young, what can you do?"

Richard grinned, playing along. "It's too bad you can't keep up, brother."

Stephanie laughed. "Someday you could find yourself slowing down."

"I hope so." Chris confided. "I want him to learn the family business. It's good to keep it in the family, don't you agree, Rick?"

"With you? Not to save my life."

The hand on his shoulder tensed. "Well, you never know whose life it could save some day."

The subtle threat was not missed. Stephanie's spidey sense was going off. Something was off with the brothers sitting in front of her and Ranger. She could see the hardening of Richard's eyes as he locked eyes with Chris for a moment. She squeezed Ranger's hand beneath the table. He picked up on it also.

"Richard," Leona purred, "Will you save me a dance tonight?"

"Of course he will." Chris said for him. "He's never been able to resist you."

For a millisecond Ranger thought Richard looked ready to kill his brother. The mask was back in place quickly, but the knuckles on his hand holding a wine glass were white with rage he was trying to conceal. He was good, Ranger decided. He was going to keep an eye on Richard.

Thankfully, meals started arriving, enabling Richard to focus on something other than conversation. He knew he had Ranger and Stephanie's attention, but he had to get them a message somehow. He also had to find a way to keep Leona's hand off him. He kept trying to knock it away from his thigh, but she was beyond persistent.

When the recognition ceremony started, Richard was still concocting plans. He knew what he could do tonight was risky, but he could see the tightness to Ranger and Stephanie's actions. Most people didn't catch it, but considering he'd spent the better part of his life trying to fight Chris, he'd learned to observe people's habits. They were tired and tense. No doubt from trying to find their daughter. He had to get them some sort of reassurance, no matter the cost to him.

Dancing started shortly after the awards were handed out. Leona grabbed his hand before the music even started to play and was dragging him out to the dance floor. Most of the young women here would claim his time. It would fit right into what Chris wanted. Make people think he was the irresponsible playboy brother while he was the successful older one who took his orphaned brother under his wing.

He spent the next hour allowing his time to be monopolized by women his age or slightly older as he struggled to find a way to talk to the Manosos. Plus it kept him away from Chris. That was a blessing itself. While he danced, he noticed the show Stephanie and Range put on. He could see exactly where Cami got her 'chameleon' from. Neither of them were letting on that there was anything amiss. They had laughed at dinner, praised their children's accomplishments, and listened to others tell stories of their own children.

Finally, he made his way back to the table. He sat down and grabbed a glass of wine. Fuck, he hated this. Stephanie and Ranger were sitting at the table talking quietly. Chris was nowhere to be seen. Leona had come to sit down as well. She gave him a pouty look that he ignored.

"You're a wonderful dance, Richard." Stephanie smiled at him. She had watched him dance trying to figure him out.

"Thank you, ma'am." He said politely.

"Richard, tell me, do you still salsa?" Leona asked. "You're the best salsa dancer I know."

"There's only one woman I'll salsa with." It slipped out before he could stop himself. Then it hit him. If he could slip hints through casual conversation then maybe they'd pick up on it.

"Really? Anyone I know?" Leona batted her eyelashes at him.

"No, probably not."

"Does she salsa as well as I do?" She asked.

"Better." He grinned slightly. "Her father is Cuban and her mother Italian-Hungarian. She can dance anyone here under the rug." He kept his focus on Leona, but could feel their eyes on him. Please, he prayed, let it have worked.

"Is she pretty?"

"Gorgeous. Has blue eyes that look like the ocean." Leona was helping his plan perfectly, he decided. Women were nosy as hell when it came to competition. Normally it irked him, but in this case it was a godsend. Leona was also known for getting jealous of other girls who caught his attention. He'd slept with her once, which wasn't something he particularly enjoyed, but after that Christopher shoved him at her at every function he was forced to come to.

And right now he knew her jealousy was rising. "Well," She huffed, "She can't have anything I don't have."

"Don't worry, she does." Richard grinned, "She's got a fiery temper. Piss her off well enough she'll rip you a new one in Spanish." For added measure, so he could be sure they knew he was talking about Cami he continued, "And the beauty of it is that she'll never let you see what she doesn't want. She can show you exactly what she wants you to see. She's a chameleon that way."

"She doesn't sound very interesting." Leona tried to dismiss her, but Richard picked up his glass of wine and took a good long sip before saying, "She's amazing."

Leona knew then and there whoever this mystery woman was she had Richard hook, line and sinker. There was no getting back into his bed after this. It grated on her. She was sure she could have gotten him to propose. After all if he was going to run Christopher's business someday then he should have a wife who would take care of his needs and make sure they were the perfect trophy wife.

Plus, he was good in bed. He gave her the best orgasms of her life. She wondered briefly if this was just a test for her. If perhaps he was describing her, but disregarded it. Her parents were both Hispanic.

Her father came to collect her. She smiled at him, then passed on a farewell to everyone at the table.

Richard didn't get a chance to look at the Manoso's. Christopher came up to him. "Rick, I have some business to deal with. I'll be a bit. Think you can entertain yourself for a bit without causing trouble." Richard met his eyes. They told him if he did cause trouble then he would definitely be paying for it later. If not him, then Cami would. He wouldn't let that happen. He nodded and as Christopher left a bouncy little blonde who giggled way too much came up and pulled him up to dance.

He kept trying to get the Manosos' attention but their backs were usually turned to him. Fuck. He had prayed that this would work. If it didn't he didn't know what else to do to help Cami. The fact that Christopher was arrogant enough to believe that he wouldn't have any idea who Cami's parents were was laughable. He'd found out the night he met her after she was done reaming him a new one.

And when they weren't occupied with loving each other, she told him stories about her childhood. She had described her parents perfectly which he was extremely grateful for. It had helped him when he saw them. The stories he'd heard of Ranger when he'd been in gangs never took the time to give details on his looks, but Cami…she positively lit up talking about her parents.

When a salsa came on, he excused himself and opened a glass door leading out to a secluded balcony. The cool air did wonders to ease the tension away from him. He braced his hands on the stone guardrail and hung his head. "Fuck."

He had promised Cami he would get her back to her family no matter what it took. But short of holding up a sign that said, "Here's my brother the kidnapper, he's got your daughter," he didn't know what else to do. Christopher was enjoying his control over both him and Cami way too much right now.

Angrily he loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top couple buttons of the shirt. The damn thing was suffocating him. His hand clenched tightly around the rail as he desperately tried to figure out what else he could do.

"Care to tell us where you have our daughter?"

He whirled around. The exhaustion and tension were gone from them. It had been replaced with fury. He let out a sigh. "Thank God. I was wondering what I'd have to do to get your attention."


	19. Enjoyed Punches

**AN: Thanks for the reviews everyone! I don't own them, I just play! Please Read and Review!**

* * *

**Chapter 19**

_Enjoyed Punches_

Stephanie stared at Richard. "What do you mean?"

"I wasn't sure how to get your attention." He explained, running a hand through his hair. "Then Leona wanted to know about salsa I figured I had a shot to get your attention."

"Where is Cami?" Ranger demanded. "What do you want?"

"I want to get her out of there." Richard met his eyes. "I didn't kidnap your daughter but I've been doing everything I can to keep her unharmed."

"Christopher took her, didn't he?" Stephanie asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Why?"

"I have no idea." Richard shrugged. "I've been trying to figure that out, but so far I've come up with nothing. The only reason I had initially Cami slapped out of me, literally."

"What was your reason?"

"She's not the only prisoner he has." Richard let out a dry laugh. "Chris likes to try finding ways to keep me complacent when he uproots me out of my apartment. The first night I met her I asked her if he had bought her to placate me. She slapped me and then informed me in very irate Spanish that she'd like nothing more than to shove my balls into my throat."

_Good girl, _Ranger thought with an inner smile. Stephanie spoke up. "But if he wants you to take over the family business…"

"Rest assured, Mrs. Manoso, he does not want me to take over the family business." Richard snapped out. "He wants me to behave."

"And you don't want to behave."

"I don't want a damn thing to do with that masochist." He growled, turning from them. He braced himself on the rail for a minute, taking a deep breath. Facing them again he said, "Christopher only took a real interest in me when he decided my mother would be of use to him. Before that he wanted nothing to do with me." Stephanie angled her head. "We're half- brothers." Richard explained to them what he had told Cami about the events of his father's death and his mother's attempt to get them away from Chris and her untimely death.

Stephanie felt her heart break for him. She walked up to him and cupped his cheek. "You're so young to have so much death in your life." She murmured. When Richard looked at her, she saw surprise in his eyes. He saw where Cami got her compassion. He liked her mother instantly.

"Where is Cami?" Ranger asked.

"I can't tell you." He held up his hands in surrender at the look on their faces. "Not because I don't want to, but because I don't know. When Chris decides I have to go on lockdown, I'm drugged so I have no way to figure out where I am to get away. And I admit most of the time I spend more time trying to escape him. I've done everything from joining gangs, trying to overdose on drugs, even trying to join the military, and I can't get away from him. But I can help get Cami away from him."

"Why do you want to help her?" Stephanie asked.

"No one deserves to be subject to Chris." Richard replied. "Least of all someone like Cami."

"Has he hurt her?"

"He slapped her once, but I intervened and took the rest of it." He shrugged. "Better me than her. I' m more worried about the psychological hurt he's inflicted."

"What do you mean?" Stephanie's eyes filled with concern.

"Um. She likes food a lot." He said. Her parents gave him a look that told him they were well aware of that. "The first night we were there he decided to have a family dinner. She moaned during the meal. Chris told her bedroom noises aren't acceptable at the table and not to let it happen again. She's barely eating anything now. She's fighting so much to keep from enjoying her meals that she can't get through a whole meal. Cami's lost a bit of weight."

Ranger noted the frustration in his voice. Richard seemed to care a great deal for his daughter. "She's starving herself?"

"No. I can get a grilled cheese sandwich into her." He told them. "I'm not sure how long I can keep doing it before Chris realizes what I'm doing."

He was taking care of her, Stephanie eyed him. From the hints they had picked up on in the dining room and what he had told her now, she was willing to bet Richard was in love with Cami.

"You said she was a chameleon when she wanted to be," Stephanie said, "How do you know that?"

"She said that's what you called her." Richard smiled. "She said you teased her that she was just like her father in that retrospect." He sighed and rubbed his neck, his shirt revealing a dark mark that Cami had left on the crook of his neck that morning. "Mr. and Mrs. Manoso, I promised to get her out of there. I told her I would get her back to her family. "

"Thank you for coming to us with this." Stephanie said. Her eyes had caught sight of the mark on his neck. "You're in love with her, aren't you?" The startled look on his face came so fast that she was forced to laugh. "You can't talk to another woman about another woman the way you did with Leona without being in love with them."

"I…" He shrugged. "Yes."

"So we'll have to make sure we help you as well."

"Mrs. Manoso, I told her I would get her back to her family no matter the cost." Richard looked at Ranger met him square in the eye. "I meant it."

Ranger knew. He knew this man had had his daughter in the most intimate of ways. If it wasn't for the fact that he was their only link to Cami right now, he'd kill him. Of course, it was a completely viable option once this was all over, he thought. But he knew Richard was telling the truth from everything he told them. He was willing to risk a lot of wrath from Christopher to ensure Cami's safety. That spoke for him.

"What else can you tell us?" He asked.

"That's it. All I can do is tell you who has her and that's she alive and relatively unharmed."

"We can't go back in there without something looking off." Stephanie said.

Ranger nodded. He looked at Richard. "You'll have to forgive me if I enjoy this a bit." Richard held his ground as Ranger took a solid punch. He caught himself on the rail and raised a hand to his cheek.

The glass door opened. Richard spoke quickly, "I apologize Mrs. Manoso. It won't happen again."

Ranger turned toward Christopher. "You might want to control your brother and keep him away from my wife. I don't share."

"Of course. I apologize." Christopher shot a glare at him. "I'll take care of him."

"But, Carlos," Stephanie said as he took her hand and lead her out of there, "It was so flattering that such a young man could be so charming to a woman my age…"

"I don't share." He replied again.

Christopher stood glaring at Richard. "I told you to keep out of trouble."

"You know me brother, once a playboy always a playboy."

…

"You enjoyed that entirely too much." Stephanie accused Ranger as they drove back home.

"It had to look convincing, Babe." He glanced at her and saw the grin. "What?"

"He's you." She giggled. "Richard reminds me of you."

"Christ, Babe."

Stephanie couldn't stop the giggling. It was such a huge relief to know where Cami was. It was even better that they knew there was someone there helping her, and fighting to keep her safe. "You always took care of me, no matter the cost. He's doing the same thing."

"Babe."

"Carlos." She took her hand in his. "You're not allowed to kill him."

"Babe, I know what they've done! She's too young and—"

"No, Carlos." Stephanie interrupted squeezing his hand. "There's no rule book for love. You and I both know that. We skirted around each other and lost precious time. Would you want that for Cami?"

"I wouldn't mind if she waited until she was thirty." He said flashing a grin at her. "Or never. That's a good option too."

She rolled her eyes. "No, Carlos."

"Babe, they've slept together."

"I lost my virginity when I was sixteen." She shrugged. "Better it be with the man she's in love with than someone who will take it and leave her behind the counter at the Tasty Pastry."

"Babe."

"And when did you lose yours?"

Silence.

"Mm-hmm. I thought so." She settled back into her seat and looked at him. "We can't let Richard stay with Christopher. If he's as bad as he says, there's no telling what will happen if he finds out Richard helped us."

"I know."

…

Cami woke to butterfly kisses. Opening her eyes she smiled as Richard grinned down at her, then frowned. "Oh god, Richard, what happened to your eye?"

"Angry husband." He replied.

She rolled her eyes. "I wish I could scold you for doing that, but I know you had a role you had to play."

"The angry husband was your father, beautiful."

Her eyes widened, "You hit on my _mother_?"

"No." He kissed her. "But Chris thinks I did."

"Oh." She rubbed sleep out of her eyes. "Wait. Wait. My parents were there?"

"Shh." He whispered. "Not loud, baby."

"Rick!"

"Cami." Richard crawled off the bed and quickly stripped down. He crawled under the covers and cradled her to him. He whispered the events of the night to her. She looked hopeful when he finished talking.

"Oh, Rick, they're coming for us!" She whispered excitedly.

"Cami, they may only be able to get you." He said. He caressed her face with his fingers. "I can't guarantee that I'll be able to go."

"Why not?" Cami looked at him tearfully. "My family can protect you."

"Because if I stay with Chris, it might keep you safe. At least until I find a way to stop him." Richard replied. "If I go with you then there will always be that chance that Chris will try attacking you or your family to get to me. I can't let you go through that pain."

"But you'd let me go through not knowing if you're alive or dead?" She whispered. "How can I live knowing what Chris is doing to you?"

"Cami." He kissed her softly. "This is the way it has to be right now."

She shook her head, buried her face in his neck and cried softly. Richard held her, his own heart squeezing painfully at the thought of having to leave her. It had been too long since someone had shown him what it was like to love. His mother had loved him, but that had been twelve years ago. He'd been filled with resentment and a need to survive since then. He'd forgotten the warmth love brought with it. The love he had for Cami was fueling a fire that he didn't want to extinguish. When it was all over, he hoped he could be with her, but knew it would take a long time before Chris could be stopped.

Cami wanted her parents to make sure they could get Richard too. The idea of losing him made the idea of breathing incomprehensible. She knew all too well that Richard was responsible for the lack of beating she had received from Christopher. She tried to be on her best behavior to keep him from being hurt on her account.

She had hope that her parents would help. Between them and Elise they were bound to be able to come up with something to get both of them out of there alive. Deep in her heart, she admitted, she wanted Christopher to die for everything he had done to Richard.

Cami leaned back and looked at Richard. "Make love to me, Rick."


	20. Stories and Prisoners

**AN: Thanks for reviews everyone! I'm glad y'all are enjoying things still. There's some spanish in here, but as I said before, I got it off a translator so if it's not accurate, I apologize if I insult anyone! Please Read and Review!**

* * *

**Chapter 20**

_Stories and Prisoners_

While Cami and Richard made love, Stephanie and Ranger arrived home, feeling more relieved than they had for the last couple weeks. Of course the fact that they still had to get Cami back was a bit of a challenge, but the fact that they knew who had her and knew she was unharmed, mostly, was a relief.

"How was the dinner?" CJ asked from his planted position in front of the T.V. He was still sulking at the lack of help he was doing. Even after nearly two weeks he was still in a bit of pain. Most of it was soreness. When he had tried to actually spar in the gym a few days ago, Tank had managed to hit his ribs, enough to show him that if something happened, CJ was not going to be much good. It grated on him.

"We found her." Stephanie grinned at her son.

"What?" CJ stood and followed them into the kitchen. Elise was already there sitting on the counter munching on a handful of chips.

"Those will kill you, munchkin." Ranger said getting two bottles of water out of the fridge.

"Yeah, but what a way to go!" She grinned and continued eating.

"They found Cami." CJ told her.

"Really? At the dinner?" Elise looked at her parents. "Her kidnapper decided to parade her around in front of you?"

Stephanie laughed. "Not quite. Seems her kidnapper underestimated the amount of hate his younger brother has toward him." She told them everything they found out from Richard. With a grin she said, "And it seems that Richard is very much in love with Cami, so when we get her, we have to make sure we get him as well."

"Cami gets kidnapped and ends up with a boyfriend." CJ shook his head. "If I get kidnapped I wonder if I'll get a girlfriend."

"Nah," Elise teased, "You couldn't handle a one on one relationship. She'd eat you alive."

"That's harsh."

"I call it like I see it."

"Where's Julie?" Stephanie laughed interrupting her kids. "I thought she was staying here with you two tonight."

"We don't need babysitters, Mom." CJ informed her.

"I don't, but you do, Mister I-Can-Still-Do-Everything-With-Broken-Ribs." Elise said, then turned back to Stephanie. "She had to go after an FTA tonight. She'll be home after."

"I'm surprised you didn't go with her." Stephanie smiled. "You've laid low for the last three days. I would have figured you'd be itching to go out and do something."

"Between Alan and Uncle Bobby I didn't have a choice. Last time I ignored them they sedated me for a week." Elise replied grouchily.

"Last time?"

"It was a few years ago, plus after the last time I helped Julie with an FTA I'm pretty sure she doesn't want my help again." She grinned mischievously.

"I brought pizza!" Billy announced as he and Victor walked in. "Captain, how's your head?"

"If I say fine, will you stop kissing ass?" She asked him.

"Probably not," Victor chuckled. Billy had looked guilty and felt just as bad whenever he thought of what he had done to Elise. While she had assured him that she was fine, and that regaining the memories from that night was a good thing, he had continued to suck up. It was beginning to drive her nuts.

"Mr. and Mrs. Manoso, how was your evening?" Victor asked them. Stephanie liked all of Elise's generation of Merry Men. They amused her and made her laugh, even with times being as tense as they were.

After she had given them the info that she had given her own kids, Billy grinned. "Awesome! Operation Rescue Baby Manoso is under way."

"Baby Manoso?" Ranger raised an eyebrow.

"Well, she's the youngest. Doesn't that make her the baby?" Billy looked at them. "So, do we get to help with the rescue?"

"We have to do some research into Ortega first." Stephanie answered. "Depending on what we find, we'll let you know."

"I'm really good at exploding things if you need it." Billy informed her, then turned back to Elise. "Julie said she and Alan will be home soon and that she's glad you didn't help."

"Why?"

"Guy had a pocket knife."

"Fucking A." She grumbled and rolled her eyes.

"Why does that matter?" CJ asked helping himself to a slice of pizza.

"Dude." Billy chuckled. "We were in Miami a couple years ago on leave and Julie asks Elise if she wants to help with her FTA. Of course we all wanted to see this, so we went too. The FTA wouldn't let them in so one of Julie's guys had to kick in the door, but he'd escaped out of the fire escape. Julie and Elise went after him and he jumped from the roof of his place to the roof of the next building. They followed with that too. By the time they caught the fucker, he pulls out a pocket knife."

"You can stop now." Elise informed him.

"No, no." Stephanie grinned at her. "I think we all want to know how this ends."

Billy laughed. "Elise, she looks at him and just says, "Are you fucking kidding me? You made us chase you down and you're going to use a fucking pocket knife? I've been attacked in third world countries by kids who have bigger knives than that." The dude he looked insulted and claimed she was full of shit."

"Then she took out her knife and told him to try hers." Julie said as she and Alan walked in. She stuck her tongue out at Elise. "I told you we were supposed to just take them in."

"It's not much of a challenge if they don't give you a good fight. The running and jumping from building to building was easy." Elise shrugged.

"Elise, you're not supposed to enable the FTAs." Ranger grinned at her. She grinned back and shrugged.

"I was feeling restless." She answered. "The running, it was just a warm up." Ranger threw his head back and laughed.

The next morning they were all back to work at RangeMan. Elise was back in the conference room, but this time instead of obsessing over reports trying to jog her memory she was writing her own. Something inside her felt sharper, more lethal. It was as though the emotions she'd had locked down for so many years had blocked part of her from coming out. Knowing that there was still a lot of rage buried down she knew she would have to deal with that soon, but if she could pent it up and use it to fuel her fight against Cortez, she had a feeling it would help. In fact she was willing to bet a lot of anger was toward him.

He had gotten close, too close, when he'd managed to use the tiger claw on her. She knew one of her greatest strengths was her speed. She'd had to learn to be fast. As a woman it just wasn't feasible to expect to bulk up the way her men or her uncles or father was. However she _was _fast, and she could use it to her advantage to keep one step ahead of her opponent. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, she thought as she thought of the fight she and Cortez had engaged in. Cortez was not overly built himself, which probably contributed to his speed.

If he had been part of the Army, Elise knew she would have loved sparring with him. He gave her a challenge. It was one she liked. In this case, she knew she had to really be on her game in order to take him down. She was all too aware that it would more than likely come down to hand to hand combat with him. Randy had sparred with her, using a tiger claw, helping her to find ways to disable the arm and keep from being ripped through again.

Stephanie had gone into the conference room long enough to put a sandwich and water on the table beside Elise and left her alone. She was glad Elise had finally broken down and allowed herself to be human, as Julie kept putting it. She could see the shift in her demeanor. The soldier was still out to play, but the five year old in her had finally released her.

A loud crash a couple floors below caught all their attention. Elise and Stephanie looked at each other from their spots and left to find out what was going on.

The floor that held the holding cells had a small cluster of men around one room. CJ and JJ were standing there glaring inside one of the rooms. Stephanie made straight for her son. "CJ! What are you doing out?"

"Mom, that fucker in there was watching the house." CJ motioned into the room where Ranger was currently staring down at a man who appeared to be in his early thirties. His skin was dark, as though he'd spent way too much time in the sun. "JJ cornered him and Uncle Tank and Lester dragged his ass here when he refused to talk and tell them what was going on."

They looked at the man in the room again. He was taking every hit from Ranger and still not talking. He was either very ballsy or stupid as hell. Elise narrowed her eyes and walked into the room. His eyes landed on her and widened. Then he began trembling. Ranger looked over his shoulder and saw Elise standing there eyeing the prisoner. He had seen his reaction to his daughter and knew the man was probably very familiar with his daughter.

Then Elise spoke. "_¿__Sabe usted quién soy yo?"_ (Do you know who I am?)

_"__Sí, Jaguar, sé quién eres.__" _(Yes, Jaguar, I know who you are.)

_"__¿Por qué se te está mirando la casa de Mañoso?__"_ (Why were you watching Manoso's house?)

_"__Me dijo que." _(He told me to.)

_"¿Por qué?" _(Why?)

The man looked at her. He looked at her and looked like he was going to grin, but thought better of it. He finally said in English, "Because of what you have."

"And what do I have?"

"What belongs to him."

"He sent you to watch me?"

"He wants it back."

"He won't get it back."

"Then you won't get what belongs to you."

Elise moved closer to him. The man had the common sense to shudder at the sight of her nearing him. Ranger was leaning back against the wall watching her. He could see her eyes had dilated. He was sure he was getting a first- hand look at what she was capable of, or at least a small portion of it. He looked up and saw her men, as well as his, slowly fill the room. He nodded toward the window where some were still looking in. They blocked the window and made the room door was secured.

"Where is he?" Elise asked. She squat down in front of him. He looked down at her. There was no emotion on her face, just the quiet look of someone stalking their prey. He had heard stories of her, but looking at the tiny thing she was, he started disbelieving them. He felt bravado seep in and looked at her.

"I don't have to tell you anything."

"No?" She leaned back on her haunches, propping her arms on her knees. "Why not?"

"You don't scare me."

Billy and Randy shared a grin when the poor bastard said that.

"Really?" Elise casually took out her knife and reached for a lighter in her pocket. Eyes locked on his face, she turned the flame on and started heating the blade. His eyes widened and she watched as sweat beaded on his face. He was getting nervous. She knew what she would have to do to break him. It wasn't easy, but she'd do it. "Why don't I scare you?"

"You're a little girl."

Victor snorted a laugh.

Elise raised an eyebrow. "Little girls can be mean too."

His eyes were watching the flame as it danced along the blade. He would not crack. All these men in here could beat him to death but he was going to take it to his grave. Surely the stories he had heard of Jaguar were about someone else.

"He's going to enjoy taking what you call yours until you give him back what's his." He taunted.

Elise smiled predatorily.

All the men in the room cringed and looked elsewhere when the searing blade was shoved into the prisoner's shoulder. He screamed out in agony. "Where is he?" Elise demanded. He shook his head. "Hm. You know this knife looks awfully tight in here. Maybe if I loosen the skin a little…"

"I don't know." He cried out. "He just said to try to get your family."

"He already has one of my men."

The prisoner shook his head. "He fights. Cortez, he took something that wouldn't fight."

"Who?"

"Your sister."


	21. I Spy

**AN: Hey everyone! Sorry it's taken a bit to update. After my last chapter I hit a little bit of a blank lull and sort of lost my drive, but I've got it back so hopefully, this length of this chapter will make up for the lag in update. Everyone enjoy! Thanks for the wonderful reviews by the way! So sit back and R&R!**

* * *

**Chapter 21**

_I Spy_

Elise didn't miss a beat. "His informant is wrong. I don't have a sister. All he succeeded in doing was pissing off Manoso."

The man looked at her. "But you're here."

"I'm retired." She angled her head. "Manoso hires ex-military. I needed something to do."

"Heh. You're a fool if you think anyone believes you." He wheezed out painfully. "He knows Manoso adopted you."

"Then you'd be wise to tell us where he is hiding." She leaned closer. "Because I've got all day. Do you?"

He screamed when she shoved the knife in deeper. Bile rose in her throat that she forced back. He had cracked so far. She had no doubt in her mind that he would spill everything he knew in moments. The schmuck was underestimating her. It was always an advantage to being underestimated. Men saw her and assumed the stories about her were about someone else. She knew that. Her men knew that. Her men had built around it.

"Stupid girl." He gasped out.

"You know, they say women are deadlier than men." Billy said out loud casually to Lester.

"Oh yeah?" Lester played up an interested look knowing what Billy was doing.

"Yeah. It's cuz they can seduce and destroy." He grinned. "I mean, we're good at it being men, but women…well, you know women. They hold grudges and they'll never let it go. They're complicated. So getting in their mind…well, it's just not safe."

Elise watched their prisoner. His eyes were darting back and forth between Lester and Billy. It was like he was watching a tennis match. She knew what they were doing. It was working. She could smell the rising panic on him. He was getting more and more nervous. Which was good. Very very good.

But the man was feeling a little ballsy yet. "He's going to break you in every way he knows how. He's already thrilled that his baby brother is fucking your sister."

Elise moved quickly and slammed him backwards so the chair tipped and he landed on his bound arms. She reached down and punched him in the balls hard. She leaned her head close as tears of pain came out of his eyes. "The only thing keeping you alive right now is those men." She motioned over her shoulder with her head. "If you don't want tell us what we want to know, then rest assured, I will castrate you and I will make you eat your own balls."

"I don't know where he's at." The man gasped. "I swear. I promise. He wants to make you pay for what you took from him. I was told to keep an eye on your family. He tried to get your brother but someone interfered and he didn't get him."

"Why Cami?"

"She's the bargaining chip." He replied. "You give him what he wants, he gives back your sister."

"When does he plan on contacting me?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

"How is he contacting you?"

"He calls a pay phone at a designated time."

"Where is the pay phone and when is he calling you next?"

He glared at her. Elise sighed, rolled her eyes and yanked out the knife. With a cold look at him, she shoved it into his other shoulder, but twisted it this time. "I don't have time for you to try being brave."

He gave off the address to the pay phone then said, "Next call is tomorrow at eight pm."

"Good. Now what about my man he has?"

"He's going to kill him once he has you." He replied. "His informant is very aware of your relationship. He's going to enjoy watching you suffer before he kills you."

Out of the corner of his eye, Ranger saw Randy and Victor step forward. Something clearly told them they were going to need to step in and stop Elise if the prisoner kept talking about Trevor.

"What else does he have planned?"

"I don't know." He whispered. "I swear."

Elise stood up. She turned away from him and looked at the men in the room. "Do what you want." She left.

There was a crowd of people standing in front of the room. They all looked at her expectantly. She ignored them, walking past everyone, and took the stairs to the seventh floor apartment Ranger kept prepared. She had a fob for it just like the rest of her family. She kicked the door shut when she entered the apartment and walked straight for the bathroom. She made it just as all the food she'd eaten today made resurfaced. Even after she'd emptied her stomach her body continued to dry heave.

Tears sprung in her eyes due to the heaves. She couldn't seem to stop. It wasn't an aspect of herself she liked, and rarely let it surfaced. She could torture someone if she had to and in this case she'd had to, but she had yet not to throw up afterward. The men always kept her privacy. They told her she was a great leader, but knew that some things you never get used to. In her case it was willingly torturing someone for information.

Finally, her body stopped rebelling against her and she was able to collapse against the toilet. God, she hurt after that. Her whole body ached. When she could finally move she flushed the toilet and washed her face.

Elise found Ranger in the kitchen, leaning against the counter. A bottle of water sat next to him, which he picked up and held out to her. "You okay, munchkin?"

"Yeah." She said hoarsely taking the water and drinking.

"I haven't seen you do that since you met Lorraine."

"I do it every time I have too…" She motioned toward the bottom floors. "I always hold it off until I'm done."

"It's never easy."

"No." She sipped the water. "Dad…I didn't want any of you to see that side of me. Don't tell Mom?"

"Munchkin," Ranger wrapped an arm around her shoulders and brought her close to him. "There are things I'm not proud of that I've done. I haven't spoken about them either. You did what was needed. It wasn't easy, and you probably won't forget it, but it's done. You've got my silence on that."

"Thanks, Daddy." She said. "What'd you do with him?"

"He's still down there. He's taken a few hits." Ranger replied.

"We should keep him." Elise said suddenly. "So he can get his phone call tomorrow."

"Good idea." Ranger nodded.

"How do you think Uncle Lester would feel about going with him?" She looked up at him. "My men are recognizable at this point. If anyone is watching him, then they'll know who they are. But if Uncle Lester goes, and stands there as a pedestrian…"

Ranger was nodding again. "Yes, that's a good idea. We'll wire him up and keep an eye on him. After we're done with him, he's not going to try crossing us. It won't be in his best interest."

Elise sighed. "I hate that I'm the cause of Cami and Trevor being taken."

"You're not." His voice was firm, brooking no argument from her. "Julie already told you that if it wasn't you it would be someone else. You do not get to take the blame for what that bastard is doing to our family. You are only guilty of loving them and fighting to get them back. Do you hear me?"

"Yes sir." She murmured.

Ranger sighed and wrapped his other arm around her and hugged her tightly. "Sometimes, I think you watched me too much growing up. You've got too many of my habits."

"Even though I'm not your biologically yours?" She looked up at him.

"Nature vs. Nurture, munchkin." He replied. "The fact that your mother and I didn't conceive you doesn't make you any less ours."

She smiled. "Thanks."

"But promise me you won't ever tell Trevor you're not marriage material." He grimaced.

"Why would you want me to do otherwise? You've always threatened to lock us up in towers." Elise teased.

"Yes…well, there are just some things I'd rather not have my children repeat." Ranger chuckled. "Despite my willingness to lock all of you up, I do want you happy."

"Dad, are you feeling alright?" Her eyes widened.

"Yeah. Your mother just made me look at some things the other night with that business dinner." He answered. "Speaking of which, your mother is doing some research on Ortega. Let's go see what she found."

"Okay…and while we're there, I'll have Uncle Bobby make sure you're not running a fever." Elise laughed as he glared at her.

Sure enough when they got downstairs, they found Stephanie had used her Wonder Woman skills and brought up every piece of thing possible on Christopher Ortega. She even had a picture. Elise took the picture from her and stared at him. The face staring back at her was who she knew as Marcus Cortez.

A slow grin came to her face. Then someone snickered. It was Kyle. Darren was grinning. "Hello, Jaguar. Nice to see you ready to play again."

…

Breakfast had been brutal. Drake had been there and was trying to flirt shamelessly with Cami. Richard had been ready to beat the shit out of him and destroy the bastard, but Chris kept giving him a warning look. Cami was polite and friendly, but did nothing to encourage the advances. Every so often she'd look at Rick and he would see the utter despair and disgust in her eyes. She masked it well, and only dropped it when she looked directly at him.

The moment Drake and Chris left for business Cami had raced into Rick's arms and held him as tightly as she could. Drake was disgusting. She was honestly afraid of him. She couldn't place why, but she knew she didn't want to find herself alone with him. She would have been more than happy to keep Rick in bed this morning instead of having to face Chris or Drake, but Rick had informed her his energy reserves had been completely depleted by her and he needed to eat to regain some of his energy. Of course had he known that Drake was going to be present for breakfast, he would have found the strength to keep Cami in her bedroom.

They made themselves content to sit and watch a movie for the afternoon. Cami knew all she could do right now was play a waiting game, but ever since Rick had told her that her family was coming for her she was feeling bouncy. She had even eaten her breakfast without a sound. She knew that pleased Rick and it sort of pleased her. She had seen the weight she lost and hated that she'd dropped so much. If she had a scale she'd step on it to see how much she'd lost.

As the lovers sat curled up together, Leona Travers was shown through the house to Christopher's office. She was determined to get Richard and she wanted his brother to make sure it happened.

"Leona, my dear. I'm delighted to have you here, but I must say I was a bit surprised." Christopher greeted as he led her to a chair.

"I'm sorry to bother you at home, Chris, but I wanted to speak with you about a matter of the utmost importance." Leona said holding herself straight up.

"Of course." He sat behind his desk, folding his hands under his chin and waited for her to continue speaking.

"As you know, I have a strong attachment to your brother. Chris, I'll be blunt, I want your brother for myself." She said flatly. "My father is a wonderful businessman and I know there are aspects in which the two of you could work well together."

"You want me to marry my brother to you as a business merger?" He raised his eyebrows. The girl had spunk; he had to give her that.

"Precisely. It's a win-win don't you think?" Leona smiled winningly at him. "After all, I get what _I _want—your brother—and you get to add another venture of business to your already substantial resume."

"It's a very intriguing offer, I must say." Chris leaned back in his chair. Working with Eric Travers would definitely get his business up and running, especially in certain areas which had been destroyed thanks to a certain meddlesome feline. While Travers was definitely a womanizer, he was also a shrewd businessman. "What does your father say?"

"Daddy only wants to make sure I'm happy." Leona smiled a cool calculating smile. "And I want to make sure I get what I want. What I do not want is for Richard to have that little Cuban/Hungarian/Italian woman warming his bed. I am the only one who gets to have your brother sexually."

His blood chilled. "And where did you find out about this…woman?"

"At the dinner." Leona replied. "We were sitting at the table with the Manosos. I asked him if he still danced the salsa." She recanted the entire conversation for him. When she was finished she said, "Now you can imagine why I'd be a little upset."

"Of course." He murmured, seeing red. He rose from his chair. "Leona, I can assure you that you will indeed have Richard when I'm finished with him. I am sorry to cut this so short, but I do have some things that need tending."

"Yes, thank you for taking the time to meet with me." She smiled at him, feeling victorious.

They left the office. In his fury-induced haze he motioned to several of his men. They followed him to the entertainment room, while one showed Leona the door. Chris stalked in and motioned toward his brother. Two of the men ripped him from Cami's arms.

"What the fuck—Chris!" Rick spat as he was dragged over the couch. Chris sent a solid punch into his gut. Rick sagged gasping for air.

"You've betrayed me, little brother." He hissed. "And now you're going to pay for it."

_Shit, _was all Rick could think as he fought against the men who were holding him down. Cami was standing. "Don't! Christopher, please! Let him go!"

"Camille, if you do not want to feel my wrath, I would suggest you stay put!" He growled out.

"Cami, stay." Rick pleaded as he was dragged out. She looked at him with tears in her eyes but nodded.

Christopher walked down to the basement with Rick being hauled behind him. One of the reasons he knew his little brother thought him archaic was because of this basement. It looked like it stepped out of the medieval ages. There were cells lining one walls. One of the cells held a soldier in it that was injured, but healing.

He watched as Rick was strapped up to two bars that held chains. His wrists were cuffed, and his feet barely touched the ground. Christopher walked circles around him. "Brother, family will always be there for you. Haven't you learned that by now? Our father raised you for four years. Your mother took care of you. _I took care of you!"_ He was shouting. "You betrayed me, and for what? An easy fuck?"

Rick stayed silent, watching his brother as he walked over to a table. He picked up a set of brass knuckles and slid his fingers through them. Flexing his hand, he pulled a fist as he walked back over to Rick. He slugged him. "Blood is always thicker than water, little brother." Rick grunted at the pain shooting through him. "Did you honestly think you could win? Hmm? Answer me!" He yelled punching him in the face.

"She doesn't deserve what you're doing to her." Rick spat.

"Who are you to decide that?" Chris laughed as he hit his brother again. "Richard, Richard, Richard. Camille is only a bargaining chip in a business transaction. She was going to go home completely untouched, until you took her virginity."

Rick just glared at him, not rising up to the bait. Chris growled and hit him again. "What do you think Carlos Manoso will do to you when he finds out you touched his daughter, Richard?" When Rick smirked at him, Christopher's eyes narrowed, "Ahh, I see. That punch wasn't for hitting on Mrs. Manoso, was it? Manoso found out you're sleeping with his seventeen year old daughter." Christopher could hardly contain the laugh. "Statutory Rape is such an ugly thing, young man. I may not be able to keep you out of jail if he presses charges."

"Don't worry," Rick growled, feeling an old rebellion sneaking in, "Her mother likes me. I doubt she'll let him press charges."

With a roar Christopher came at him again.

…

Cami stood in the room, frozen to her spot. She could hear Rick's cries of pain. She knew they must be worse than before, especially since she could hear them up here and the windows were all closed. Feeling a bravery inside her break through, she raced out of the door and looked around. The hall was deserted…but at the end of the hall was an open door. She wanted to rush to Rick's aid, but something told her to go to the door and find out what was in there.

She came to the door and found Chris's office. She grinned. The bastard was so angry with Rick that he'd forgotten to lock her out. Cami looked around the hall again. So far, no one was there. No doubt they were all making sure Rick didn't evade Chris again.

Hurrying to the computer she felt her grin of triumph return. The poor bastard had left it running and on. Moving quickly, she pulled up the RangeMan website. She found Silvio's email, but knew that wouldn't get her what she wanted. She needed one of her sisters. Julie. She found Julie's name in the contacts. Clicking on the email she typed away.

"When I was five, I wanted to be a spy." She muttered, hoping Julie would remember the games she, Elise and Cami played.

A door was closing. Looking up, she saw she still had a moment. She finished her email and clicked send. Feeling slightly defiant, she grinned evilly and pushed a few buttons that wiped everything clean from Christopher's hard drive and ran out of the room like a bat out of hell.

…

Julie was sitting at her desk looking over some of the paperwork on Ortega. Ranger had already given everyone the plan for tomorrow, so for now, she just wanted to do her research on him and understand him better.

A ping from her computer alerted her to a new email. She didn't recognize the address, but clicked on it. When a series of numbers came up, at the very end the words, _"I SPY" _she opened her mouth but no sound came out. Her mouth continued to open and close for several moments before she broke into a grin and hit the print button.

Grabbing the paper as the printer finished spitting it out, she raced out of her office to the conference room where all the men were working. She threw open the door and grinned at Elise and Ranger.

"When our sister was five she wanted to be a spy!" Julie said slapping the paper down in front of Elise.

Elise looked at the paper, her own grin coming up. "Good girl, Cami!"


	22. Stalking

**AN: I don't own them, I'm just playing cuz it's fun! Thanks for all your wonderful reviews everyone! Enjoy the chapter and please Read and Review!**

* * *

**Chapter 22**

_Stalking_

Elise and Julie grinned at each other. Their little sister was something else and at this moment they couldn't be gladder of it. They looked over the paper at the code waiting for deciphering. Both of them frowned.

"Shit." Elise sighed.

"What?" Lester asked.

The men in the room, Ranger included, were staring at the two of them. Clearly they had some explaining to do. Julie spoke. "I was up in Trenton visiting one summer. Cami was five, and she came running up to me and Elise saying she wanted to be a spy."

"So being the helpful sisters we are," Elise picked it up, "We helped her create a code only the three of us would know."

"And apparently she managed to email us from wherever Ortega has her." Julie held up the sheet.

Ranger grinned. "That's my girl."

"Well, where does it say she is?" Tank demanded. "We can get her back."

"Umm…"They both looked slightly guilty. Elise finally said, "I don't remember all of that code. I was fifteen. It's been nearly twelve years."

"But if Cami remembered it…" Julie said thoughtfully.

Elise was pulling out her phone. "CJ? Are you home? Do us a favor and grab Cami's laptop and come back to RangeMan. Of course we're breaking into it. You're not a girl, CJ, you don't get to see what our sister's diary says about you. _CJ!"_

She hung up and shook her head. "He's worse than a girl sometimes!"

"She'd password protect it." Julie pointed out.

"The whole computer too." Elise sighed. Then turned her look to Victor. "Vic, I need you to hack into my sister's computer."

"Um…" Vic looked a little nervous. "How like you is she, Captain?"

"Why?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Cuz the last time he hacked into your computer you made him do Pilates for a month with you." Billy snickered.

"We will make sure Cami doesn't force you into any Pilates." Julie told him. "But if she remembered that code, she'd have it written down somewhere."

"Since she's good with computers, logically, she'd keep it on her computer." Elise said. "Besides, you weren't hacking into my computer for the greater good. You were hacking into mine because you let Billy convince you that finding a way to meet my dad was as important as finding a cure for AIDs."

"Dude." Billy looked offended.

"What are you complaining for?" Victor shot him a death glare. "I'm the one who had to do Pilates with her!"

"Munchkin."

Elise could hear the dry humor in her father's voice. "What? He never went near my computer without my permission again."

When CJ finally arrived with the laptop Victor went to work on hacking through it. At one point Victor let out a low whistle and said with admiration, "Damn, this girl is amazing." It took him several hours to successfully hack through to her hard drive.

During those hours, Ranger's core team was getting ready for their stake out with their new friend. Elise had to smile when she watched her dad and uncles go through their motions. It had been years since any of them had gone on a takedown. She could tell they were all glad to be getting back out in the field to keep their toes wet.

"I'm in." Victor finally announced. He sounded exhausted. Elise, Julie, Ranger, CJ and Stephanie came in the room. Victor was rubbing his eyes. "Shit, Captain, your sister…she's fucking good. I didn't think I was going to get through."

"Okay, so what do we have?" Elise asked.

"We have homework, journal, and a living will—"

"Wait, why does she have a will on her computer?" Stephanie asked.

"I have one." CJ, Julie and Elise all said simultaneously.

Elise looked up at her mother. She was looking at all three of them in shock. "I set mine up right before I left for the Army. Just in case."

"Always be prepared." CJ said not looking at his mother. He kept his focus on the computer in front of them.

"I'm not entirely sure how I feel about all of you having wills at this juncture of your life." Stephanie said faintly, but she understood it. Three of them had Ranger's preparation attitude, and when it came to Elise she knew she was all too aware of the fragility of life.

"Ahh. I bet that's it." CJ pointed at a document that was labeled _I Spy_.

Victor opened it and found it locked. "Any ideas what it could be?" He was worn out from hacking into the computer.

The three siblings looked at each other, all with questioning looks on their faces. Julie and Elise were doing their best to recall that summer so they could provide some sort of help for Victor.

"Richard was right." Stephanie said to Ranger. "Cami is like a chameleon. I would never have guessed she has a will."

"Chameleon." Julie snapped her fingers. "Try that."

Victor typed in the word and grinned when it came up. Julie and Elise slapped their hands together in triumph when they saw the codes they had created when they were younger.

"Okay, so you two need to get away from the computer." Elise said.

"Why?" CJ asked.

"Sister Confidentiality." Julie said. "She'll understand us getting the code, but not sharing it."

Victor and CJ shared a look that said they clearly didn't get but, wisely moved away from the computer while Elise and Julie took pen to the paper with the coded email on it. The four people in the room watched with fascination as Elise's pen flew across the paper, her eyes barely leaving the monitor. Julie was just as focused. There were a few hms, and a few corrections, but finally they looked at the paper with a look of triumph.

"Hey, what's going on?" Billy asked walking into the room. He'd been helping the others get the preparations ready for the night. He looked at Elise and saw the predatory glint in her eyes. "Jaguar's out to play."

"His address." Julie grinned at Ranger and Stephanie. "She emailed his address."

Stephanie felt excitement bubble up inside her. "We can go get her."

"Not yet." Elise replied.

"What do you mean not yet?"

"He's after Elise, which means he's going to be well protected." Victor said leaning back. "We'll have to get stock of how many men he's got, the weaponry, etc. If we don't, we risk going in guns blazing and possibly having everyone killed."

"He'll have upped the guard count since last time." Billy said leaning back against the wall and folding his arms over his chest. "Someone has to go get a rough layout of the place."

Stephanie took the address from Julie. She frowned when she looked at it. "This didn't come up in my research."

"Probably in someone else's name." Ranger said.

"So who is going to go and scout the place?" CJ asked.

Victor and Billy both looked at Elise. She folded her arms over her chest, an evil smile tugging at her lips. "Ready or not, here I come."

…

Darkness fell across the sky, helping her blend in with her surroundings. She bit back the grin that threatened to overwhelm her. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she crept to her destination. As her family prepared to eavesdrop on Ortega's phone call to their prisoner, Elise was busy looking at his estate. It was a beach mansion, but there was enough vegetation that she could hide against. So far she'd counted six cameras. She'd found the security box, electrical box and had counted at least a dozen guards patrolling the large estate. Since it was only her, evading them would be easy.

_Careful soldier, _her inner voice said, _don't get too cocky here. It could get you killed. _She had no doubt in her mind that it would if she wasn't being prepared already. Knowing she was strapped with at least three guns, four or five knives and a few other tricks, she let her lips peel into the grin she had been trying to hide.

She ducked out of sight when she heard a garage door open and close. There was a car peeling away, followed by another. People had left. From what she remembered from last time, Ortega didn't believe in putting cameras into his home, just on the outside where he was likely to catch whoever dared consider breaking into his private property. Fortunately for her, she had managed to time out the cameras and knew when she could and couldn't move. This was too easy, she decided, but then she was one of the best for a reason.

Peering around the house where she was certain the camera couldn't catch her; she looked upward and saw a light on. She could only assume it was a bedroom. There was a window on the ground, one that was open. Needing to assess what they had to deal with she crept over to it silently and swiftly, avoiding the looks from anyone who would be patrolling the area.

A look into the window gave her confirmation that Ortega did indeed have Trevor. He was sitting in a cell looking beaten up, but nothing appeared to be broken. He was still in his army wear. Her heart thudded wildly for a moment when he looked up and appeared to look straight at her. With a wicked smile his direction she held her finger up to her lips, warning him not to say anything. She caught the wink he sent her letting her know he'd seen her. Good.

Moving away from the window she focused her attention back to the lit window. She needed to reassure herself that Cami was alive and unharmed. If they were going to get her out safely, they needed to know where she was. Using her skills as a gymnast, she hoisted herself up the drainage pipe and scaled along the wall, careful to continue avoiding cameras and the security guards. They were dumb, she decided. They were only watching outwardly, but then they had never dealt with her either. She could have easily killed all of them on her way in, but without back up she'd be walking into a suicide mission.

As she came up to the window, she jiggled it quietly, finding it opened easily. She peered in. The bedroom didn't look like something Ortega would stay in himself. It was too feminine. Sliding in the room she shut the window carefully before tuning to inspect the room. The warming feeling from her dog tags told her that this was the room Cami was being kept in. Ortega was archaic, she knew that much. He would treat his female prisoners with respect. It was the only thing that had kept her calm when she found that Cortez and Ortega were the same person.

A noise behind her made her whirl around and catch the object flying toward her head. "Shit, Cami!"

"Elise?" Shock registered in Cami's voice as she took in the appearance of her older sister. "Oh, god!" Cami dropped the statue and lunged forward into Elise's arms. She shuddered as she felt her sister hold on to her comfortingly. "What are you doing here?"

"I spy." She said simply.

Cami pulled back and smiled. "You figured it out?"

"Sort of." Elise smiled back. "We had to hack into your laptop for the code, but we understood the intent of the email when we got it."

"Thank God." She sighed. "I wasn't sure if you'd figure it out."

Elise took a good look at her sister. There were angry bruises on her upper arms. Her cheek was sporting a nasty looking bruise as well. "Did Ortega do this to you?" Fuck safety, she'd kill the bastard right now for hurting her sister.

Cami shook her head. "No, it was Drake."

"Drake?" Elise stilled.

"He…" Cami took a shuddering breath. "Chris found out that Rick got a message to Mom and Dad about where I am. He dragged Rick away earlier. I don't know where he's at, but I know Chris was beating him up pretty badly. Anyway, Drake came into the entertainment room, where I was waiting and he um…he-he…."

"Did he rape you?" She demanded.

"No." Cami blinked back tears. "No, he tried, but I fought him away. Dad would be proud. Anyway, Chris came in and found Drake and told me to get back here. I didn't hesitate. He and Drake both left a few minutes ago. I'm locked in until he comes back. I don't think he wants me trying to find Rick."

"Cami, I need you to describe Drake." Something was nagging in the back of her mind, something vitally important. As she listened to her sister's description the only thing she could think was _Fuck._ Another thought occurred to her. "How did you get that message to us? Can you access the computer again?"

"No, I can't." Cami answered. "Chris didn't let me or Rick near any electronics that we could use to get away from him with. He treats us like guests with no fun."

"Then how did…"

"He left the office door open when he came to get Rick earlier." Cami said. "I snuck in and as long as I heard Rick being beaten I knew Chris wasn't coming back. I have to assume he hasn't been back into his office though."

"Why?"

"I…sort of lost my temper and wiped out his hard drive." Cami said calmly.

Elise grinned and held down the laugh that threatened to burst out. "Good girl, Cam." She looked outside, "I've got to go."

"Wait, you're not here to take me back now?" Cami clutched her sister's hand.

"Cami, I can't." Elise shook her head. "I was only supposed to scout the house and make sure you were here. With Rick and Trevor both in the basement, and you here, I need my whole team to make sure everyone comes out alive."

"But when will you come back?" She asked softly.

"Soon." Elise grinned. "Real soon."

…

The prisoner had been helpful after all, Ranger thought as they hauled him back into one of the holding cells. Whatever Ortega had planned was going down in a few days. He was going to have the Manoso household watched for three more days and then he would take his man off that job.

Lester clapped his cousin on the back. "I've missed doing things like that. Too bad we're not that young anymore."

Ranger chuckled. "Definitely. Where's Elise?" He asked when Kyle appeared.

"Not back yet." Kyle replied. "It's not unusual though. It'll probably be a few more hours before we hear from her."

Elise showed up about ten minutes after that, surprising all her men when she picked up the phone and made quick phone call. After hanging up, she walked to the conference room and sat down to wait.

"Elise, what happened?" Randy asked as they came into the room.

She didn't answer. Instead, she drummed her fingers against each other as she sat there contemplatively. Elise didn't notice when her father came into the room, or her mother. She was completely focused on her thoughts.

What she did notice was when General Diggory boomed out, "Donahue! You better have a good reason for dragging us down here at this time of night."

"Generals." Elise continued to sit where she was at. She was retired and she didn't have to get up if she didn't want to.

"Elise, what's going on?" Dillon asked.

"General Diggory, General Dillon, can you tell me the location of Drake Johnson?" Elise asked quietly.

Stephanie heard the sharp intake of breath from Elise's men. She watched carefully as Diggory shook his head. "He's been declared KIA since your mission dealing with Ortega." She knew that much. They hadn't been able to find him. Even through the pain of the injuries she had been sustaining, she had sent her men back to get Johnson.

"I assure you, he was not KIA." Elise growled. "He's very much alive."

"Can you verify this?"

"My little sister did." Elise said as calmly as she could. "I'm sure Alan or Randy has made you aware of the family situation we have going on here." At their nods she continued, "This afternoon we found that Cortez has my sister, along with Trevor. My sister was able to get a message to us in a creative way. She sent us the address she's being held at."

"You're positive she's at that address?" Diggory asked. His attitude had shifted when he heard Cami was taken by Cortez. He had a daughter of his own and would be tearing up the city she lived in to find her. He was also aware that that had been precisely what Manoso had been doing.

"I went there tonight to make sure."

"What did you find?"

"I found that Drake Johnson is very much alive and attempted to rape her." Elise gripped the arms of the chair. She refused to look at her parents. "Lucky for us, Ortega/Cortez is archaic enough to make sure women captives aren't raped or hurt. He stopped it."

"Johnson's turned traitor." Dillon said. Diggory nodded.

"You have a plan?" Diggory asked.

"Yes."

"Good. Let us know when it's complete. Bring back your sister and Trevor alive." Diggory and Dillon nodded at her and left.

"What's the plan, Captain?" Billy asked.

She turned her look to them. "Gentlemen. It's time to lock and load."


	23. TLC and Tasty Cakes

**AN: Sorry it's taken so long to update. This particular chapter needed to be intense and I am hoping I caught the intensity I wanted but I was struggling for a bit on it. I hope y'all like it! Please Read and Review :-) **

* * *

Chapter 23 - _TLC and Tasty Cakes_

Lester and Tank leaned back against a wall watching as the men going with Elise and Julie prepared for their battle. Elise was sitting in a chair, arms folded over her chest, feet propped up on a table. Her eyes were closed, and those that had served with her knew she was centering herself, preparing for the fight. The men around her moved easily, as though this was a common occurrence, which it had been.

"You miss it?" Lester asked Tank.

"Sometimes, but I wouldn't trade what I have now to go back." Tank answered. He and Lula had a couple beautiful girls and he definitely wouldn't trade things to go back to the service.

"I hear ya." Lester nodded. He had been lucky when he met his wife. His kids were his life and he was with Tank. He would never trade what he had to go back to the service. But there were some moments where the overwhelming urge to do something physical consumed him as it did the other men. Luckily, they had all found ways over the years to get through those fazes. After all, hunting deer was a good outlet.

Elise stood. She moved like she had all the time in the world, but her men knew her mind was processing everything. She lifted the chain that held her fathers' dog tags and took the necklace off. She was standing in between all her men as she started getting her own weapons on her.

"So, Captain," Billy called amicably, falling into old habits, "If we come out alive then can we meet your dad?"

"Georgeson, if we get out alive I'm finding the most obscure third world country possible and dropping you in it." Elise shot back, throwing him a grin.

"That's just cold, Captain. You'd miss me too much." Billy answered.

Alan chuckled. "I doubt that." He strapped his own weapons to him.

"Nah, Billy has a point," Kyle said with a grin, "After all, if he's dropped in a third world country, then the women of the world will never know who _not _to end up with."

"And we can't have that!" Elise laughed and shook her head. The easy fall back to their banter as they prepared for a mission was comforting. It brought her a sense of ease that she hadn't been sure would be there. It caused a focus. She knew her men had her back.

Ranger and Stephanie came up to where Lester and Tank were watching. They all stood and watched the banter fly back and forth. Stephanie had never watched her daughter prepare to go to battle, but it was a little nerve wracking.

They saw Elise walk back to the table and pick up the dog tags. She brought them to her lips. They could see her murmuring something against them before placing a kiss to the tags and bringing them back around her neck. She tucked them safely inside her shirt. She looked over at her men and her older sister. "Ready?"

"You bet!" Billy grinned. "Operation Rescue Baby Manoso is a-go!"

"Dude." Julie shook her head. "I really hope you say that in front of her. I can't wait to see what she does to you."

Elise laughed. "We won't have to send him to a third world country after that."

…

Trevor looked over at Richard. The beating he had taken was more severe than Trevor had seen him take previously. Of course, Trevor was still surprised he wasn't being beaten beyond recognition. Part of him knew it was because Ortega wanted to make sure Elise saw him after he caught her. _If _he caught her. Trevor smirked. He knew his woman and he knew she wasn't going to go down without a fight. Her perseverance had always been something that attracted him to her. Well, that and the fact that she had thrown him down in their first sparring match.

What did surprise him though was the fact that Richard had been locked down here with him. He only saw Richard whenever Ortega was trying to "teach" him a lesson. He'd never actually been locked down there. From the research they'd done on Cortez —or Ortega, rather, they knew he was big on family honor and family dynamic. It had played into their hands on their first mission. When Trevor thought about it now, it ate at him that they hadn't gotten to Elise in time before Ortega had ripped her open with the damned tiger claw. The men had refused to leave her side once they'd gotten her medical attention. Hell, Alan had had to have most of them hold her down so he could even stitch her up. Elise's body tolerated an unnaturally high level of drugs. Trevor could only imagine how painful that would be just for healing.

"Dude." He rasped. "You're his brother. Why'd he lock you down here?"

"Because I tried to save someone." Richard replied. He'd seen the soldier down here every time he'd been beaten by Chris. He hadn't dared ask who he was nor had he snuck down to try and find out about this man. He should have. Inwardly he was kicking himself. He should have done everything he could think of to help both Cami and this soldier. He knew Chris was mixed up in some bad dealings, hell, he probably orchestrated most of them in the first place. Freedom was something Richard desperately wanted to feel and he'd allowed himself to be blinded by the fight for his life rather than see a way to try taking his brother down.

"Damn it." Richard muttered. His body ached. The brass knuckles had done a large amount of damage and he was going to be feeling it for a long time. He didn't know how long Chris would keep him down here. He had heard him leave and return so he knew Chris was home. The only thing he could do down here was sit and plot. If he had to murder Chris to gain his freedom then he would, but not until he got Cami safely back home. He promised to get her back to her family no matter what. The night of the dinner he'd made the same promise when he told Ranger and Stephanie the same thing. No matter what, he'd make sure he got Cami out alive.

"What are you here for?" Richard asked, feeling suddenly inspired. He didn't know what the soldier had done but perhaps if they helped each other…

"I'm here as bait." Trevor replied.

"Who do you need to bait in?" When Trevor didn't answer, Richard moved closer to the barred wall keeping them separated and lowered his voice. While there were no guards in here and no cameras, he didn't want to take any risks. "Look, I need to get someone out of here and I can't do anything about it sitting down here like a prisoner. I hate my brother and would be happier knowing the fucker is dead, but I need help making that happen."

"I need to bait in my captain." Trevor said trying to keep as much information out as possible.

"Why your captain?"

"Because she and I are sleeping together." He admitted. "Ortega took me to make sure he can get what he wants from her. Elise has information that she took from your brother. He wants it back."

Rick nodded. He could see that, after all, he'd just admitted earlier that Cami was being kept as a bargaining chip. He almost wondered why Cami wasn't being kept down here with the soldier but realized that as a soldier he would have training to get away from his captors. Chances were that Chris kept him just injured enough to keep him from really fighting back.

"Elise." Rick said suddenly. "Cami's sister?"

Trevor whipped his head around to look at Rick. "You know Cami?"

"Yeah." Rick motioned to where he'd been tied up earlier. "Weren't you paying attention when my brother was beating the shit out of me?"

"Not really." Trevor admitted. He'd been fighting consciousness at that point. His body was not as injured as it could be but nonetheless staying in and out of reality was being a bit of a struggle.

"Chris took Cami as a bargaining chip." Rick said. "She's been here the last two weeks."

"Fuck. Elise is going to bring Armageddon on Ortega for that." Trevor replied. Outside they head a clap of thunder and the sound of rain pelting the window panes told them a storm was brewing outside. It suited the night, Trevor thought.

"We've got to get out of here." Rick said forcing himself to stand. He had a bobby pin in his pocket. He had been playing with Cami's hair before Chris came in to grab him. He liked seeing her hair free so he'd taken out one of the bobby pins and pocketed it while he was trying to distract her from the un-pleasantries of the morning. He could pick the lock to the cell. Pulling it out he went to work on the lock.

"Why do you have a bobby pin?"

"I took it out of Cami's hair earlier and forgot to get rid of it. Lucky us." He replied.

There was silence as Rick worked diligently on the lock. Trevor stood and slowly worked his muscles. He was stiff and sore, hungry and tired, and probably severely dehydrated. Alan was going to have a field day putting him on bed rest, he thought sourly. Although, if Elise was the one taking care of him…his mood brightened at the idea of his lover caring for him. When Rick's cell door swung open his mind went into soldier mode. Rick was quick to get Trevor's cell opened before anyone could come in. They locked the cells back up as the lights suddenly went out.

"Lightning." Rick guessed.

"No." Trevor shook his head. "The cavalry."

"Nice."

The door to the basement swung open. The two men moved so they were out of eyesight from whoever was coming down the steps. When Trevor saw it was one of the guards he crept forward quietly. Before the guard ever turned around his neck was snapped and Trevor was relieving him of his gun.

"Let's go." Trevor said.

They moved through the basement, getting out of it as quickly as they could. There was a blast of cool air as they came into a dark hallway. They couldn't hear anything. It was like the house had suddenly become a ghost town. The only noise reaching them was the steady drumming of the rain on window panes with an occasional crack of thunder beating across the sky.

The lack of life in the house made them nervous, but they kept moving forward, carefully. Trevor was relieved to be out of that cell, but his body needed to recuperate and he knew it, but survival was going to have to happen first. He knew Elise had shut down the power. Or rather, it was probably Kyle. The man was practically a monkey when it came to scaling walls and he could guess that that had been what happened.

He heard someone coming down a hall that intersected with this one. Tensing he brought his gun up and was ready to meet them and kill them if necessary. He turned the corner and came face to face with the barrel of a gun.

"Trev?"

"Elise?"

"Oh, thank god." She whispered lowering her gun. She reached for him and pulled him to her. Their lips met hungrily and just as quickly they parted, knowing that they had to keep their focus. "Where's the brother?"

"Here." Rick replied from behind Trevor, "I have a name you know."

"Where's your brother?" She asked as she watched Trevor. He'd lost weight and was swaying dangerously on his feet. A couple Rangemen were standing near her. She looked at them. "Get Trevor out of here and take him to the hospital. Now."

"Elise, I need to—"

"You need to go to the hospital." She cut him off. He glared at him and opened his mouth to argue, but she kept talking, "That's an order soldier."

Trevor clamped his mouth shut but allowed the men to lead him out of the building. Elise turned back to Rick. "Are you physically able to help me get to your brother?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

They searched the house looking for any signs. Elise's men and her sister were elsewhere. The dog tags were searing her skin almost painfully. She knew something was wrong, but she couldn't figure out what it was. They found Cami's room, but it was empty, with a chair overturned and broken shards of glass on the ground indicating there had been a struggle of some sort.

Rick knew his brother was here; he could feel it and told Elise just that. She nodded and they continued their search. It bothered her that they were getting in here so easily. They left the room and continued until she noticed that a door leading outside was banging open. She looked over at Rick and he nodded. His thoughts were in the same place hers were. They cautiously went through the door and saw steps that lead up to the roof.

Elise sighed as they began climbing. Something was wrong. She hadn't heard gunfire or the sound of fighting. Her men were good, so were the men from RangeMan, but they only had about ten men altogether, including her and her sister. Eight now since she'd sent two of them with Trevor to make sure he got out alive and to a hospital.

The sight that greeted them up on the roof had Elise's heart in her throat. In the center of the roof was Ortega, clutching Cami to him with a knife to her throat. He was holding her so high that Cami's toes were barely touching the ground. All her men had guns trained on them. They'd gotten to the roof. Elise had gone through the house expecting to find Ortega hiding in there, waiting for her like he had last time.

Elise's gun was drawn and she had it trained on Ortega as she moved in front of her men. The rain that beat down on all of them seemed irrelevant to the situation. Ortega watched her with a cold smile. Behind him stood more men than she could count. They were outnumbered. Drake Johnson was standing off to the side with his own gun, grinning. Her eyes narrowed at him but she kept her focus on Ortega.

"Well, well, well. Jaguar. Nice of you to join us." Ortega said. "I want what is mine."

And then it hit her. Fuck, she knew where the information was. Of all the times for her to remember what she had done with it…She shook her head, buying time. "I don't know where it's at."

"Do. Not. Lie. To. Me." Ortega said angrily. To emphasize his point he dug the tip of the knife into Cami's skin drawing blood.

Behind her, Elise heard the sounds of hissing and a deep growl. Her men had decided Cami was theirs simply because she was Elise's sister. She knew her men would fight to help keep Cami alive. Julie had their father's famed control and she was grateful it was being used right now. The urge she had to just shoot Ortega for hurting her sister was overwhelming and she knew Julie was probably feeling the same.

Elise eyed Ortega's men. There was no way she could get them out alive if they did shoot Ortega. His men wouldn't hesitate to shoot them down like dogs if something happened. For several minutes the only thing anyone heard was the sound of rain beating the roof.

"Ortega!" Elise shouted finally. "I'll make you a deal."

"You are in no position to make deals." He replied calmly. Cami was shaking in his arms, her hands gripping the hand that had her in a choke hold.

"You set my sister and my men free, unharmed, and I will go with you." She replied. "I have your information. The only way you get it is they all go free."

Chris eyed her. "Why would I want to do that? I could just kill your men until you give me the information."

"A bloodbath isn't necessary." Elise said coolly. "I've made my offer. The only way you get it is if I go with you. If you kill all of us here then the information dies with me and you're business will really be fucked then."

"It is not polite for a woman to use such language." Chris scolded her. "But I accept your deal. You and Richard will come with me."

"Richard goes free." She said.

"Ah ah ah." Chris shook his head. "You said your sister and your men. Richard is not one of your men. He is my brother. He goes with me."

"No."

"Yes." Richard stepped forward. "I'll go with you."

"Rick, no!" Cami gasped out.

"Ortega, Drake Johnson goes with my men." Elise said.

"He works for me."

"He's one of my men." She countered. "He goes with them."

"The government thinks I'm dead." Drake told Chris. "Don't worry, she can't do anything."

"Actually, they're well aware of the fact that you're alive. I've confirmed it for them." Elise said. "Ortega, it's not in your best interest to let him wander with you. Loyalty isn't his strong suit."

Ortega looked at her thoughtfully. "You're right." He looked at Drake. "It's just business, but since the government has clearly decided you're alive, you're back in their employ."

Drake looked at him in shock. "You're fucking kidding me!" He felt the tip of a gun in his back. With a sound of disgust he threw his gun on the ground and marched over to where Elise's men were looking at him with deadly looks.

Richard walked forward as Chris shoved Cami away from him. She stumbled and hit the ground. He stopped and helped her up. Cami grasped his hand, "Rick, don't, please!"

"I promised I would get you back to your family, Cami." He said and kissed her. He glanced over at his brother.

Chris waved at him to continue. "By all means, finish. I'd hate to ruin a good farewell."

Rick looked down at Cami. Her brilliant blue eyes shined with tears and fear and heartbreak in them. "Cami…I can only thank God that I was given a chance to know what love truly is. I love you." He kissed her again and pushed her gently towards her sister's. Julie reached out and took Cami's arm to keep her from running back to him.

Elise stepped forward. Chris held up his hand. "Not so fast. Remove your weapons."

Raising an eyebrow she removed her gun belt and dropped it beside her. He glared at her. "Do not play coy with me, Jaguar. I know full well that is not the only weapon on you." She thought about smirking but thought better of it as she unloaded her knives, extra guns, taser gun, a few grenades and a set of cuffs.

When she was finished unloading her weaponry she walked forward. Chris reached down and grabbed the chain that held the dog tags. He pulled them up and said, "These too."

"These go with me." She replied.

"Where you're going, you don't need them." He snapped at her and yanked the chain off her. He threw the necklace and it landed it at Darren's feet. He knelt down and picked the tags up, pocketing them.

"Any last words for your family and friends?" Chris asked cheerfully. He had _won._ Finally.

Elise turned and looked at her men. Her eyes focused on Billy. Her lips curled up ever so slightly. "TLC and Tasty cakes."

She knew Billy understood as he gave a barely noticed nod.

"You may leave now." Ortega said. "The deal is done."

…

"Boss, they're back." Lester said as they watched the monitors. Stephanie looked at Ranger and grinned. She raced down to the garage. She met them in the lobby of RangeMan. Cami and Julie came in first. Julie had a strong grip on Cami who looked like she was in shock.

"Cami!" Stephanie cried out running to embrace her daughter. Cami didn't return the hug. Stephanie pulled back and looked at her. "Cami?"

"Report." Ranger demanded the moment he saw the men. He could see the looks on their faces and knew something had gone down. Something they hadn't expected. None of them met him in the eye.

"He took them." Cami whispered breaking out of her mother's hold. "Daddy, he took them! He took Elise and Rick!"

"What?" Stephanie looked around. "What happened? Where are they?"

"He took them." Cami said, her body starting to shake. "He took them and he's going to kill them." Stephanie reached for her daughter but Cami shook her head and backed away. "Oh god, Rick!"

Julie couldn't stop the tears as she watched her baby sister crumple and let out a cry of anguish. The only thing she could do was turn into Alan who took her into his arms.


	24. Fury and Reassurances

**AN: Hey everyone! Here is another chapter for your enjoyment! Thanks for the reviews, you're making the review whore inside me giddy! :-) **

**Please Read and Review!**

* * *

**Chapter 24**

_Fury and Reassurance_

Stephanie moved to go to her daughter, but Cami shrieked, "No!" and backed away from everyone. She wrapped her arms around herself unable to calm down. She turned so she wouldn't have to look at her parents who had spent two tiresome weeks searching for their daughter. Her eyes landed on the men who had brought her back.

"You!" Cami's grief switched into fury. Tears still coming down her cheeks she targeted her sister's men. "How could you do that?"

"We didn't have a choice." Randy replied.

"How can you not have a choice?" Cami's voice rose. "You should have told her no!"

"Cami," Ranger called out.

She ignored him. "How could you let her make that deal with him?"

"She's the Captain." Kyle said. "We listen to her."

Her breathing was becoming quicker as her rage continued to build. "So she says jump off the fucking bridge and you do it? You let her go with him! You could have shot him down, done something—_anything _to stop her!"

"If we had said no what would it have done, Cami?" Victor asked quietly. "Given your parents three children to bury instead of giving us time to get the one capable of getting away from him back?"

"There had to be a way, you're Army Rangers!" She was beginning to get light headed. "You're supposed to get out of those situations!"

"Cami," Alan came up to her, "You've got to breathe."

Cami shoved him away, "But no! You let Chris take Rick and Elise! He's going to kill them and my parents will still have to bury one of their children!"

"Cami," Ranger strode forward, "Enough!"

"No!" She backed away from her father. "You should have _done _something!" She yelled pointing at the men. Then she felt a prick in her arm. She looked down at it and looked up at Alan.

"Sorry." He murmured as she went down.

Ranger caught her. Alan looked at him, "Sorry, sir."

"No, you did the right thing." Ranger told him. "Everyone in the conference room. Babe, I'm taking Cami to seven. See if CJ and JJ will come watch her. They're probably in the break room." He settled Cami in his arms and carried her to the elevators. Stephanie called CJ on his phone as she followed them into the elevator. They would meet them up there.

"Carlos, I've never seen her like this." Stephanie murmured as she moved a lock of hair out of her daughter's face.

"She's in shock." Ranger said. "The events of the last couple weeks caught up with her. When we get to the conference room we'll find out what happened."

The doors opened on seven and they walked off and got their youngest settled in bed. As soon as CJ and JJ arrived to keep watch, they headed back to the conference room. While they stood on the elevator again, Stephanie looked at her husband.

"You're going to go after Elise this time aren't you?"

"Yeah, Babe." He pulled her into his arms. "Ortega fucked up when he targeted my family. I'm going to send him straight to hell for what he's put everyone through."

"We don't even know where she's at." Stephanie whispered.

"We'll find her." Ranger assured her.

They walked in the conference room and found everyone sitting sullenly around the table. They were all soaking wet still but none seemed to notice. There was a sort of shock on their faces, as though, despite what they'd told Cami, they couldn't quite believe what had gone down. Julie's eyes were red, and she was taking slow deep breaths to calm herself down. Alan held her hand and rubbed her back soothingly.

He saw his own men there, sitting, waiting to know what happened to their niece. He knew his men would go to battle with him to bring back their Munchkin. The fact that they had stayed in Miami so long to help find Cami reminded Ranger why he trusted these men with his life, and the lives of his family.

"Explain." Ranger barked.

"He surprised us." Julie answered. She took a breath and forced herself to continue. "We took out a few of the men and continued covering the grounds. Elise went inside looking for Ortega with a couple men. We couldn't find anyone on the outside and we went to check the roof. Ortega was waiting and they had us surrounded in seconds. There were too many men." Her eyes filled when she thought of what happened and she looked down and struggled to calm back down.

"It would have been a slaughter." Darren said. "Elise did the only thing she could do to make sure we got out alive. She bought us time—"

"Fuck!" Billy shouted and was out of the room.

"Georgeson!" Randy yelled.

The others hurried out of the room at the moment Billy attacked Drake Johnson. "You son of a bitch!" Billy threw him back against the wall. "She was your Captain! You betrayed your Captain!"

"You left me to die." Johnson sneered.

"Fucking traitor!" Billy wasted no time delivering what he thought was just rewards for the bastard in front of him. It took Lester, Tank, Randy and Darren to pull him off Drake. Bobby, Kyle, Victor and Cal held Drake Johnson. Loyalty was something that Ranger admired and the fact that Billy was willing to mutilate Johnson for betraying that loyalty to his daughter gave him high marks.

"We went back for you!" Billy spat at him. "Captain was bleeding to death and she sent us back for you! You betrayed all of us!"

Drake looked at him but kept his mouth shut. Chris had warned him that something like this could happen if it had been discovered he was still alive. Of course he knew they left him, he hadn't been that unconscious. He did think it was perfect that Chris had taken Elise's little sister as the bargaining chip. Elise had only been willing to spread her legs for Trevor, but he had thought it the perfect opportunity to ruin her sister. Pity Richard got to her first.

"You're liars." He replied. "Ortega said you'd do something like this. Elise is nothing better than a whore, just like her mother. What'd she do, lay on her back for all of you to win her leadership?"

"Keep talking, Johnson." Randy said dangerously. "We're only keeping Billy off you so you can deal with Manoso himself."

They dragged Billy to the side so Drake had a clear view of the legendary Carlos Manoso. The cold, feral look in the man's eyes was enough to make Drake consider regretting his decision. The money had been too tempting though.

"I'm a very private man, Johnson." Ranger said walking forward quietly. "And I really do not like when people pry into the private affairs of my family."

"Hey, Mom, we can't find…" CJ's voice trailed off as he came to the scene in front of him. He stared at Drake.

"CJ?" Stephanie looked at him.

"He's the one who attacked me." CJ motioned with his head at Drake.

"Really." Stephanie's eyes narrowed as she looked over her shoulder at the prisoner. She looked back at her son. "Did you need something?"

"Oh, yeah, we can't find the med kit. We were going to doctor some of her bruises." He said.

"There's one in the break room." Bobby said. "Alan and I will be up soon to make sure everything is good to go."

CJ left and Stephanie turned slowly back to Drake Johnson. He had betrayed Elise by going with the enemy. He had attacked CJ and put him in the hospital. He had tried to rape Cami. Fury boiled in her so quickly, she was surprised when it hit. Calmly she walked up to him. Ranger recognized the look in her eyes and stepped away.

"Do you like preying on innocent girls?" She asked coldly.

"She was already fucking Ortega's brother." Drake said snidely.

"You attacked my son and tried to rape my daughter." Stephanie stated and reared back her first. Drake's head snapped back against the stone wall as her fist connected with his nose. "I hope you rot in hell."

Stephanie did an about-face and walked back into the conference room. Ranger smirked and faced Johnson. "Take him to one of the holding cells."

He went and wrapped his arms around his wife. "Proud of you, Babe."

"I'd like to let Billy finish him off." She said softly. "But that wouldn't be smart, would it?"

"Maybe after this is all over Billy can tear him apart. I get the feeling all her men want to tear him apart for that betrayal."

"Good." Stephanie smiled. "I like them. They're going to help get our girl back."

"Mrs. Manoso, that was awesome!" Billy said as he was lead back into the conference room. Those who had taken him off Drake flanked him on the chance that he might decide to rush down to the holding cell and continue what he'd started.

"Oh, uh, thanks." She blushed.

"I always wondered where the Captain got her right hook from. I met the end of it once. I learned to never piss her off, just to be a pain in her ass." Billy said. "She'll tell you when she's back. I'm better at annoying her than anything else."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure she'll tell you that Billy is better at leaving dozens of women heartbroken." Alan said.

"Naw," Randy shook his head, "She'll say that Billy is better causing things to explode. She'll give dues where they're deserved."

"Thank you," Billy took a mock bow, "I do try."

Stephanie laughed. It was reassuring to hear that these men expected Elise to come back. Which told her they had faith in whatever was going to happen and that was a reassurance she hadn't realized she needed.

As soon as everyone was settled, Kyle spoke up, "Elise gave herself up to keep from having a bloodbath. She knew Ortega would want the information she has so she used it for a bargaining chip."

"What does this tell us?" Ranger demanded.

"It tells us that, thanks to Johnson, Ortega was really able to do his homework on Elise. Last time she was able to infiltrate his home base and get the Intel needed without being caught. We were sent back to finish things off when the powers that be found out we'd gotten the info. Someone, I'm not mentioning names—Billy—set the place ablaze. We'd finished off most of the men, but the fire was spreading too fast. I barely got Elise out alive." Randy said.

"We'll run checks on all of Ortega's homes." Stephanie said, "I know it's not likely, but on the chance that he might have taken her there, I want to see for myself."

Ranger nodded. Before he could say anything, the conference room door opened and Cami walked in, this time looking shy. JJ and CJ stood behind her looking guilty. "Cami, what are you doing down here?"

"I, um," She fidgeted with the hem of her dress. "I came to apologize. I lost my temper and I took it out on everyone. None of you deserved it."

"It's okay, cuteness," Billy grinned at her. "Elise always does worse when she gets upset."

"Do you, um, really think that we'll get them back?" Cami looked at them hopefully.

"Yes, ma'am." Darren smiled. "Your sister is one of the best—after your dad."

"Will you be bringing Rick back too?"

"Absolutely! We don't want to keep Antony and Cleopatra separated!" Billy nodded enthusiastically.

"Antony and Cleopatra? Dude, they both died!" Randy slapped upside the head.

"Uh…Romeo and—no, that won't work they offed themselves," Billy looked thoughtful, then smiled apologetically, "Sorry, I only know the ones that died, but we'll definitely bring back Rick for you."

Cami couldn't help the small giggle that escaped. She liked Billy, he reminded her of Uncle Lester. Then she frowned, "I'm afraid of what Chris will do to him."

Randy, being closest, turned his chair and took her hands in his, "Cami, as I'm sure you saw with Chris, he's big on family loyalty. Richard risked _a lot_ to help make sure you got home alive."

Tears filled her eyes, "He's not going to kill him, is he?"

"No," Alan spoke up from beside Julie who was watching her sister, "No, he won't kill him. We'll get him back alive, Cami, but to be honest, because Ortega knows that Richard helped us, he's going to be in for a world of hurt."

"Cami," Stephanie came up and wrapped an arm around her daughter, "The few minutes I spent with Richard and Christopher at that business dinner showed a lot. Christopher wants Richard to behave and do as he says. He's probably going to focus on making Richard learn to behave."

"I hate him." Cami said shaking her head. "I hope Elise guts him like a fish. Omigod!" She gasped, "Trevor! Did anyone find Trevor?"

"Trevor is at the hospital under guard." Julie said. "According to our men, he and Elise pulled guns on each other before realizing who the other was."

"Lucky they didn't shoot each other." Kyle muttered to Darren who nodded.

"Well, who is going to tell him what happened with Elise?" Cami asked.

"Not it." Was the resounding answer from every single one of Elise's men.

She narrowed her eyes at them. "Cowards."

"Cuteness, no one wants to tell a man that the woman he loves more than anything has just been taken by someone who is going to hurt her." Billy said. Tank, Lester, Bobby and Cal all nodded knowingly, thinking back to whenever they had to tell Ranger some crazy had gotten hold of Stephanie. It had never been pretty and they could only guess it was going to be just as ugly when Trevor found out.

"Fine." Cami said. She looked at her parents. "Can someone take me home so I can get cleaned up and put on some jeans? Then I want to go to the hospital to see Trevor." When she saw Ranger about to object she pulled out the big guns. "Please? I promise to take a tracker and some Rangemen with me. Please, daddy?"

"I'll go with you, sweet heart." Stephanie said.

"I'll go too." Julie stood.

"Boys, you're coming too." Stephanie told CJ and JJ.

After they left, Darren looked at Billy. "Billy, what did Elise tell you when she said TLC and Tasty Cakes?"

Billy grinned. "What you don't remember?"

"If we did, would we ask?" Kyle said dryly.

"TLC and Tasty Cakes." Lester looked thoughtful. "I'm thinking tender loving care and dessert that makes Ranger cringe."

"Close." Billy laughed. "It was after Ops TLD and TLM were created. I asked Captain what we were supposed to do if those never worked."

Randy started laughing. "Oh, shit. I remember now. You kept harassing Elise saying we needed something good as a fall back."

"Operation Think Like Captain." Alan smiled nodding.

"What does that entail?" Ranger asked.

"Armageddon." Was all Billy said.


	25. Dog Tags

**AN: Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out! Hopefully those of you who have been following the story are still waiting to see what happens. I was struggling a little bit to figure out how to get things moving, but I think I've got it. Thanks for the reviews :-)**

**Please Read and Review**

* * *

**Chapter 25**

Cami sighed with relief when she dressed in her own clothes. She felt like she was reclaiming part of herself. All she had to do now was get Richard back and hope that Elise killed Ortega and sent him to Hell for everything he had done. Not to her, necessarily, she thought, but all the agony and hurt he had put Richard through, the murder of his mother, the loss of their sister (which she hoped he would tell her about someday) and the loss of freedom he had been dealt because of Christopher. Who knew how many other people he had hurt, she thought angrily as she ran a brush through her damp hair.

A soft knock on her door made her jump. She set her brush down and let out a small laugh. It was going to take her a little bit to get used to being home. After two weeks of being a prisoner she had developed a sense of caution. The lack of awareness being safe in her room surprised her.

"Come in."

Stephanie walked into the room and watched her. "How are you feeling, sweet heart?"

"Better now that I'm dressed in my own clothes." Cami replied. "Rick always said Chris is archaic." She sat on the bed to put her shoes on. "Mom, all I was allowed to wear was dresses. Don't get me wrong, I do like wearing them, but…"

"But you like the freedom that a good pair of shorts or jeans can give you." Stephanie nodded as she sat down. Absently she ran a hand through Cami's hair, reassuring herself that her daughter was indeed in front of her.

"Yeah." Cami sighed. Tears filled her eyes. "I was so scared. It was like walking on eggshells. He never actually tried to beat me. He slapped me once because I started yelling and swearing then Rick intervened." The tears spilled down her cheeks. "And then he dragged Rick to the basement and I could hear his cries of pain. It was awful."

Stephanie wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her close as Cami cried. She calmed down enough to continue, "Rick is stoic…he doesn't let his emotions through, Mom. I can see them in his eyes when I catch him off guard. Honestly, I think _I _caught him off guard completely."

Stephanie nodded. "I gathered that when I met him."

"How did he tell you where I was?" Cami asked pulling away from her. She stood up and walked to her bathroom so she could brush her hair. Stephanie followed her in and sat on the edge of the tub to talk to her.

She smiled when she thought of the dinner. It was only a few nights ago, but if felt like it had been longer. "It took him a while to figure out how to get our attention without drawing Chris's attention to him. One of the other guests sitting with us asked him if he still danced the Salsa. Rick said he would only Salsa with one woman. I'm sure you can imagine that it didn't please the young lady one bit." Stephanie chuckled softly. She looked at Cami. "He had our attention already because your father and I could tell there was some sort of discord between Chris and Rick. The woman was asking about the only person he would Salsa with. When Rick said 'Her father is Cuban and her mother is Italian-Hungarian' we knew right then he knew where you were. He described details that would tell us exactly who he was talking about."

"Did Daddy really hit him?"

"Yes." Stephanie chuckled softly. "It's the only hit he was going to get, especially when he realized the two of you were having sex."

"Oh gosh." Cami's cheeks reddened. "I'm surprised Rick came home alive then!"

"He was really unhappy when I told him that Rick reminded me of your father."

"You caught that too?" Cami turned and looked at her mom. "It's so weird, but there were moments when I would be talking to him and it was like…like I was talking to Dad. He could give me one word answers that were absolutely aggravating!"

"Your father has always done that too." Stephanie smiled and stood. "Come on, sweet heart. We'd better get to the hospital and talk to Trevor."

/\/\/\/\/\

Ranger sat in his office, elbows resting on the arms of the chair. His hands were folded in front of him. Billy had said Armageddon when he identified what TLC meant. He had not clarified what the Tastykakes reference was for. Fuck, he thought angrily, he was furious. He'd gotten one child back only to have another taken. But he would have done the same thing had there been no other way. He would have made sure he'd gotten his men out alive.

A knock on his door took him out of his thoughts. "Enter."

Darren walked in. "Sir, sorry to bother you, but I thought you should have these." He held his hand out. Ranger accepted the object and felt his heart clench painfully when he saw they were the dog tags. In twenty-two years he had never seen his daughter without them.

"I know she doesn't take them off, Sir, but Ortega told her she wouldn't need them where she was going." Darren said not meeting his eyes. "I didn't think it was right to leave something that important to her there."

"Thank you." He said quietly.

Darren nodded and left the office, leaving Ranger alone with the dog tags. He looked at them carefully. There had been some changes made to the dog tags. Between him and Mac there were a total of four tags on the necklace, but at some point Elise had had each set fashioned into a locket. He smiled softly as he opened the locket with Mac's name inscribed on it. On one side was a picture of Trevor. He was grinning at the camera, looking at peace, making Ranger realize he had probably been with Elise when it was taken. The other side held a picture of all four of the kids. It was a few years ago, but they were all laughing in the picture. CJ was stuck in the middle with his arms around Cami who stood in front of him. Julie and Elise each stood on the side of CJ. It had been a good vacation that year.

Closing that locket, he opened the one that was inscribed with his name. One side had a picture of Mac in his military uniform. Ranger was pretty sure it was the only picture she had been able to find of him. The other side held a picture of him and Stephanie. It was from their wedding day. He ran his thumb over the picture remembering that day clearly. His thumb ran over a bump beneath the picture. Frowning he looked at the outside of the locket. There was nothing indicating a bump.

Ranger popped the picture out of the locket and stared at micro SD card that had been hidden behind the picture. Moving quickly he left the office and hurried to the conference room where Elise's men were at. They were all discussing the possible areas of where Ortega might have taken Elise.

"Victor," Ranger barked. "Can you get the information off this?"

Victor looked at the card in Ranger's fingers. "Yes sir!"

/\/\/\/\/\

Cami strode into the room they were keeping Trevor at the hospital. She was still marveling at all the changes that had happened in the last couple weeks. Elise had a break down, CJ and JJ actually started becoming friends, next someone would tell her Julie was pregnant.

Trevor was sitting up in the bed looking extremely irritated. From what people had told her he wasn't good at showing his emotions a lot, but right now, he was really good at showing his annoyance.

"Hi, Trevor." Cami sat down in a chair next to the bed. Stephanie followed her daughter in and sat near her.

"Where's Elise?" He demanded.

_Way to cut to the chase, _Cami thought dryly. She took a deep breath. "Chris has her."

"What?" His voice rose. Cami forced herself to stay in her seat and not back up. She had only met him briefly on the fourth of July, but he didn't seem like he would lose his temper easily. Billy was right, she thought, telling a man the love of his life had been taken is not a good idea. But someone had to do it and the other men had pansied out.

"We were surrounded when they got to the rooftop." Julie said from the doorway. "She offered herself up in exchange for all of us leaving unharmed. It was the only way she could make sure we got out alive. He took Richard too."

"Fuck." Trevor ran a hand through his hair. He took a deep breath. Elise would do it. He wasn't surprised that she would give herself up. It would save a bloodbath. "Did she say anything?"

"Yes." Cami nodded. "She said TLC and Tastykakes."

"Shit." He muttered.

"Do you know what that means?" Stephanie asked.

"Yeah." He nodded. "TLC is Think Like Captain. Billy came up with it after we created Ops TLM and TLD. He wanted us to have something to fall back if thinking like you or Ranger didn't work. He thought thinking like Elise would be the best angle."

"Any ideas what that would entail?"

He blew out a breath. "With Elise? It could be a variety of things. I think that's why the higher ups always like sending her on missions. You never knew what she would come up with. If Billy is going with TLC then that means it's probably going to be explosive. Ortega won't see it coming."

"And the Tastykakes?" Julie asked. "What does that mean?"

"That means she wants Tastykakes when it's all over." He smiled. "It means she knows she's coming back and expects to have some waiting for her."

Stephanie let out a choked laugh. "I can do that. I can have those waiting for her."

"Mrs. Manoso," Trevor looked at her. "I love your daughter, and I say this with certainty, Ortega won't come out of this alive. Elise is pissed that he targeted her family. I imagine by the time any of us find out where she's at, Ortega will be dead or near death."

"Trevor, if Elise doesn't kill him, rest assured, her father is going to." Stephanie smiled at him. "Ortega chose the wrong family to fuck with."

"He's not the worst we've dealt with. The only reason he got as far as he did was because of Johnson."

"Yeah. Nice hit by the way." Julie said to Stephanie.

"Thanks."

"What?" Trevor looked confused.

"Billy beat Johnson up when he saw him. Took a lot of guys to pull him off." Julie explained. "Then Steph broke his nose."

Trevor laughed, and then coughed. "Sorry. I'm pretty dehydrated." Cami poured him a glass of water and held it out to him. He smiled his thanks and looked down at the water. "He's a traitor. Johnson is going to have his ass handed to him."

"Good." Stephanie said. "He'll be lucky if Ranger doesn't kill him."

Julie and Cami's eyes widened as they looked at each other. Stephanie rarely called their father Ranger anymore. When she did it meant she was pissed and that Ranger the bad ass was coming out to make sure whatever had hurt her or their family was shown what was what.

/\/\/\/\/\

Ranger looked at the men in the room as they waited for Victor to get into the card he had brought in. Billy had done something unusual and was laying on top of the table staring up at the ceiling. His ankles were crossed and his arms were folded over his chest. Randy just sat there shaking his head.

"Billy. Do you really believe laying there is going to make you think like Elise?"

"Yes."

"Dude." Kyle shook his head. "I almost wish I had a camera so I could show Elise what he's doing."

"You're taking TLC to a whole new level." Darren said

"How do you know?" Billy demanded. "We've never had to do it before."

Randy opened his mouth to speak then stopped. He had a point. Finally he asked, "Well, have you come up with anything?"

"General Diggory said Elise could have all the men she wants." Billy said sitting up.

"So?"

The door to the conference room opened and Ranger's core team walked in. He nodded at them. He saw the determination in their eyes. He knew they were going with him to make sure they brought Elise back.

"Well," Billy grinned, "What do you suppose Ortega would do if he suddenly found a whole army of Rangers on his door step?"

"Shit his pants." Darren suddenly laughed. "But it's something she would do."

Tank nodded and grinned. "I got off the phone with Dillon. He and Diggory are on their way over with some MPs to arrest Johnson. We can bring it up with them when they get here."

"I've got it!" Victor called out in triumph.

Ranger looked over his shoulder at all the information that popped up. He grinned. "Good job, Munchkin."


	26. Seasick and the Wind

**Here is another chapter for everyone! I hope y'all enjoy it. I'm sorry it's been awhile since I've updated it. It's been playing around in my head, as well as Rediscovery for those of you reading that, and finding the way I want to do things has been a little bit of a struggle. For those of you who have reviewed, Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much I appreciate hearing that you're enjoying the story!**

**Please Read and Review!**

* * *

_Seasick and the Wind_

Richard looked beside him. Elise was on her knees, trying to focus on the wall across from them. There was a thin line of sweat beading at her hairline. The skin around her lips was white. Her entire body was stiff. The plane had taken them to a port and dropped them off. Richard and Elise had been led to the bottom of the ship in the cargo area. Both were bound so they couldn't move far from where they were at. He wasn't sure how long they had been out to sea, but he could see that something was wrong with Elise.

"Are you okay?" He finally asked.

She gave a slight shake of her head. "I'm fine." _The boat just has to stop rocking, _she thought desperately.

"You don't look okay."

"How would you like me to look?" She asked. Elise felt the boat shift and her stomach lurch. Good god, she was going to die before they even got to their destination.

"Less like you're going to die." He replied.

"Hard to do when that's what your brother is going to do to me."

"Good point." He sighed. Sitting back against the wall, he looked at her side profile. Other than the little things he had noticed looking at her face, nothing else on her body gave away the problem she was dealing with. "That was a ballsy deal you made there."

"There was no other way." Elise said. "You know Ortega would have killed all of us."

"Probably." He nodded. "What do you have that he wants?"

"Everything he needs to put him back on top." _Focus soldier, _she ordered herself as she felt herself rebel against the steady rocking of the ship.

"You're going to kill him?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Good." He sighed and shut his eyes. "No one will have to suffer at his hands anymore."

They sat quietly, the only noises coming from the ship. Occasionally a guard would walk into the cargo area and look at them to make sure they were still where they had been left. Richard simply flipped the guard the bird every time he came in. From the looks he was receiving back everything he was doing was being reported back to Chris. Well, he thought snidely, that was just fine. He and Chris were already scheduled to have a long talk. If Elise didn't kill him, then he would himself.

"Any idea where he's taking us?" Elise asked finally.

"You don't know?" Richard looked at her. "Isn't that your job?"

"My job was to neutralize Marcus Cortez and get him to the authorities. As you can see by the way the events turned I clearly didn't do that." She snapped. "He took my baby sister."

"Marcus Cortez." Richard thought quickly. It made sense. Chris was not likely to do anything shady under his own name. He knew his brother was up to no good, had been that was for years. "Everything you found was under that name wasn't it?"

She nodded and closed her eyes. Richard kept talking, keeping her away from the problem she was dealing with. "This was all in Columbia?" She nodded. She was a little surprised that Richard didn't know all this already. Chris was his brother. "Fuck. I know where we're going."

"Where?" She demanded. "He can't get to any of his properties there."

"Not the ones listed under Marcus Cortez." Richard replied. "But he can get to a property that's held under the name of Benito Ortega. My father."

Elise's eyes opened and she looked at him. "You father is dead, right?" When Richard gave a nod, she asked, "It went to your brother?"

"No." Richard sighed. "It went to our sister initially. When she died her will had it going to me. I was underage, and Chris got the lawyer to alter things so that he could take it back. He put it back under our father's name, to honor him." He spat the last part out. "Fuck. If I'd thought about it I'd've realized he was probably doing something corrupt."

"Can't dwell on that now." Elise said. "We have to focus on the problem at hand. Do you have anything that we can use against him?"

"No. I know very little about his operations, other than I'm sure he has them." Richard leaned his head back against the wall. "How do we plan to get back to the states if we're in Columbia?"

"My men are on it."

"And they plan to do that without all the information we have?" Richard asked.

Elise looked at him and grinned. "My men are the best. After my father's men that is. And since all of them are together, I know they'll be working on it and will get us out alive."

"What makes you so sure they'll succeed?"

Finally unable to handle the rocking of the ship by sitting on her knees, she sat back on her bottom leaning back against the wall of the ship. While it looked like they were in a very precarious situation, she realized that Richard had helped keep her from getting sick. He had kept her focus off the fact that she was getting seasick. And while it was still a strong possibility that whatever she had eaten in the last day or so would resurface, it wasn't going to happen soon. She had to give him credit for that.

"What has Cami told you about our family?"

"She said that you're an Army Ranger so was your father. Your mother used to be a bounty hunter and you all have a slew of uncles and aunts."

"Right." Elise nodded. Her lips curled into a grin. "Stories go around through the Rangers about our dad and our uncles. They're legends in the business. Best of the best. They may have been out of the game for some time, but their skills are still there. My men are also the best of the best. Combine the two sets of teams and your brother will never know what hit him."

"What will they do?"

"Ahh, that depends on what Dad lets them get away with." Elise shrugged. "I've never strategized with Dad seeing as how he had retired shortly before he and Mom got married. He's all about control, whereas Mom has always thought outside the box. It definitely made life fun whenever we went on family vacations."

"You were on vacation when Cami was taken." Richard said. "She told me you just got out of the Rangers. She said your mom was struggling a lot with the fact that you had joined."

"Yeah." She sighed. "I'm not surprised."

"Is your mother going to be coming with them?"

"I doubt it, why?"

"You said she thinks outside the box. I didn't know if that meant she was going to be coming to help rescue us."

"No." Elise shook her head. "No, she won't be coming with them. I know that much. Dad really won't let her."

"Then what if the control your father uses doesn't work?"

Elise laughed. Richard almost shuddered. The laugh was almost evil. "That's where my men come in. They know me. They know what I expect."

"And what do you expect?"

"I expect hell to break loose."

"Are you trying to get us killed?" Richard demanded.

"Nope." She smiled. "I expect for you to get out of there the moment I get you free."

Richard stared at her for a long moment. He realized then that she already had plans forming. It didn't matter if she had never been to his father's home. She was already mapping out her plan. "And you?"

"_Voy a estar bailando con el diablo en el infierno_." (I'll be dancing with the devil in Hell). The grin on her face made him realize that she was planning something big.

"You're a couple knocks shy of sanity aren't you?" He finally asked.

"That really depends on what your definition of sanity is." She answered.

"Not likely to do something crazy and potentially life threatening." Richard fired back.

Elise looked at him and laughed quietly. "No, my friend, I'm definitely not sane. In fact, I'd have to say none of our family is sane. It'll make for an interesting life for you and Cami."

"I'm not looking to get out of there." He said with finality.

"Why not?"

"He'll kill her."

"So you'll let yourself be miserable to keep her safe?"

"If it keeps her alive."

"Fucking A." She grumbled. "You're as bad as our father." Sitting forward, she looked at him. "Richard, I'm killing your brother. Make no mistake about that. Then you are going home to Cami. I know my sister. I don't know you, but you've proven yourself to me and to our family. I'm getting you back home to her."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Good job, Donahue." Diggory muttered with satisfaction as he looked at all the information that Victor had pulled off the disc. It had everything Ortega would need to put himself back on top of the drug underworld. He looked at Ranger. "Manoso, I'm guessing you're going after your daughter and the younger Ortega?" At the slight nod he received, Diggory smiled. "Good."

"Wait," Dillon spoke up, "Manoso, you've been out of the game for some time. We can't guarantee…" He drifted off at the cold look he received from Ranger. Fuck, he thought. He wasn't going to win.

"He's the best, Dillon. You've said it time and time again over the years." Diggory glanced at him. "We know he'll bring them both back. Besides, Ortega will find out firsthand how it feels to mess with a pissed off father."

Dillon couldn't help but nod. He was surprised at Diggory's change in attitude when they had found out that Cami had been kidnapped. The anger he had toward Ranger over the years had dissipated. Hearing that Elise had surrendered herself to keep everyone else alive and unharmed had surprised both of them, but ultimately they knew that they shouldn't have expected any less from her.

"I hear you have a plan, Manoso." Diggory sat back and looked at Ranger expectantly.

"Rather, Elise's men have a slight plan going on." Ranger replied. "Billy seems to feel that a whole army of Rangers would give Ortega a bit of a surprise."

Diggory and Dillon both laughed. Diggory spoke first. "He's got that right. I'd definitely expect that out of your girl too. She's pulled off some of the most ridiculous plans…" He trailed off and shook his head. "Never fails to impress."

"Her men seem to think you're gunning for her." Ranger folded his arms over his chest and glared at him. Diggory met his look and knew why Ranger was glaring at him. For years of misplaced anger.

Dillon looked between the men and stood. "I think I'll go start calling in Rangers who are not in the field. I'm looking forward to seeing how this plan falls into place."

The moment they were alone, Diggory said, "I let go of my anger toward you a long time ago, Ranger." He stood. "I push Elise because next to you she's the best. The only thing she's got on you is her speed." He shook his head in disbelief. "It's almost inhuman that she can move that fast. There is one thing you should be aware of." Ranger raised an eyebrow at him. "The Ortegas' father is Benito Ortega."

Ranger's eyebrows shot upward. "He was never part of the underworld in Columbia."

"No, he was a damned good informant. Your wife found the connection and caught Dillon and I before we got up here. Christopher seems to have fallen off the wagon with his family." Diggory looked at the computer and all the information sitting on it. He shook his head again. "Elise is like the wind, Ranger. I have no doubt that we'll get her back."

They walked out of the room as Julie walked toward them. Her phone went off. She looked at the caller ID and frowned. "Yes, Abel?"

"_Chica._" Abel drawled. "I got info for you."

"What?"

"Seems Cortez took a boat earlier this evening." He said. "Some of my men saw him hauling a couple people at gun point."

Julie froze and looked at her dad. Ranger saw the look on her face and strode toward her quickly. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Chica. He's floating along the ocean now."

She disconnected and looked at Ranger. "They're on a boat." She relayed the conversation she had with Abel. Stephanie and Cami wandered over. They had returned from the hospital and began helping dig up information on Ortega the moment they could.

"Wait, he put Elise on a boat?" Cami giggled.

"Why is that funny?" Billy asked from the conference room.

"Because Elise gets violently seasick." Cami couldn't stop giggling. "Chris will be lucky if she doesn't kill him for taking her on the boat before they arrive at their destination."

"Then it's safe to assume he's taking them back to Columbia." Randy said from a position on a wall next to Tank. "He can't access his properties though. Elise destroyed that for him."

"But he can get to his father's." Ranger said.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

It took a day and a half to gather fifty Rangers at Rangeman Miami. The entire time had been spent planning. As soon as all the men were there, Diggory and Dillon had everyone in a room where they could be apprised of the situation.

"Men, most, if not all of you, have worked with Donahue at one point or another. You know how good she is." Diggory looked around. The men were nodding. "The enemy has her now. We're going to get her back."

"If we can't impress upon you the seriousness of the situation as it is," Dillon spoke up. He pointed at Ranger and his team, "That's Carlos Manoso. Donahue's father."

Diggory grinned when he heard several intakes of breath and quiet murmurs. "Failure is not an option, men. You'll be following Manoso through this mission. If you fail to get her out alive, you answer to him."

Elise's team grinned at each other. Yeah, this was going to be fun.


	27. Armageddon

**AN: I have to say I was absolutely overwhelmed by all the reviews I recieved for the last chapter! I was so surprised by how many people were excited to see an update on this! I'm glad you're enjoying this story and so glad you're following it! I hope everyone likes this chapter. It might not be as climactic as it could be, but I'm not good at writing fight scenes. So, hopefully, all of you will see the intensity of it, hopefully. **

**BtW, I don't own them, I'm just playing (I noticed I've been forgetting to do that...)  
**

**Please please read and review?**

* * *

**Chapter 27**

_Armageddon_

The plan was laid out among the men. Stephanie was sitting in Ranger's office waiting to hear when they would be leaving. She knew it would probably happen tonight, especially after finding out where Elise and Richard were being held. She wanted nothing more than to go help rescue their baby girl but she knew she was not cut out for that work. Nothing her men had taught her when she stayed in England for three years would have prepared her for this kind of battle. This was a war where her Batman excelled. It may have been twenty odd years since he'd been back in the field but she knew he was going to win.

When the door to the office opened and Ranger stepped in she stood up. He looked at her and smiled softly. "Babe."

He was dressed in all black, geared up. It had been a long time since she had seen this side of him. With a deep breath she walked over to him. She ran her hands up his chest as his hands caught her waist. She tilted her head back as his lips caught hers. The moment they broke apart, she cupped his face with her hands. "Get our baby back, Batman."

/\/\/\/\/\

The lucky part for Ranger and his men was that his contacts were still usable. The Colombian government, the part that wanted Marcus Cortez neutralized, had been contacted and had given their consent to making sure all of the men who went in to rescue Elise and Richard would come out without any repercussions from them. All they had to worry about was any other drug cartels that would be hanging around.

Between Randy and Tank both men had figured accurately that the drug cartels would not stand in their way. Marcus Cortez had been a powerful cartel and with him conveniently out of the way one of the other rivals would be able to assume his power. After all, none of them would be getting their own hands dirty. There would no doubt be a war among the cartels after this, but it would hardly make problems for them escaping Columbia once they had gotten Elise and Richard.

The best part, assuming Elise's informants had failed her men, had been the intel given on the layout of Benito Ortega's home. They had a rough assessment of the men patrolling and knew that they definitely outnumbered the amount of men Christopher had. In a lot of the minds of the men going on this rescue mission it meant that a sure victory. But in Ranger's mind he knew better than to underestimate Christopher. If what Diggory had said was true and that after him Elise was the best, she had underestimated him and now she and Richard were paying for it. All Ranger knew for sure was that his daughter better be in one piece when he got to her.

The flight down was a combination of somber silence as they absorbed what needed to be done in their minds and stories from those who had had the opportunity to work with Elise and her men. Ranger and his men found themselves listening, amused by some of the antics that had been pulled.

"Peterson, I'm surprised you're here." Billy said at one point, "After me you drive Elise nuts the most."

Several of the men laughed. Peterson just grinned. "What can I say? Someone has to keep up the slack when you're not up to par."

Billy snorted, "Fuck man. What you did wasn't picking up slack. What you did was _ask _for her to kick your ass."

"Wish I'd've been there to see Captain Donahue wipe the floor with you." Someone said wistfully.

"You and everyone who has heard about it." Randy called down with a laugh. He leaned back in his seat and glanced over where Tank and Lester were watching amused. They looked at Peterson who was nearly as big as Randy and Tank put together. But as their uncles they had personally helped Elise train over the years and knew whatever the Army would throw at her she could dish out and throw back at them.

"A few years ago, Peterson joined the Rangers." Randy told them. "He was feeling a bit arrogant—"

"A bit? Dude, I was just one arrogant son of a bitch!" Peterson retorted.

"—and didn't believe any woman should be in the Rangers. When he saw Elise he decided he was going to prove why." Randy couldn't contain the chuckle that emerged. "Elise promptly handed him his ass six or seven times. By the end of it, he couldn't stand and she hadn't broken a sweat."

"Kicked the arrogance right out of me." Peterson said. "I don't think I've ever been more turned on." Suddenly he heard several growls and looked to find Ranger and all of Elise's uncles glaring at him. He backpedaled quickly, "Not that I would ever do anything of course. She's my commanding officer and she made it clear that she was never interested…I'm going to shut up now." He turned and shut up trying to ignore the snickers around him from the other men.

"See?" Billy grinned at his comrades. "This is why Elise keeps me around. I'm a ray of sunshine after him."

"Keep it up, Billy," Kyle laughed, "Elise might just order you to trek back to the states from Colombia."

"She wouldn't!" He cried in mock despair.

"She would." Every man who had served with her said together.

The plane suddenly dipped. Glancing out a window Tank saw they were landing. He nudged Lester. "Just like old times."

Lester chuckled, "This is going to be fun."

"Just remember boys, there are only two medics here," Bobby informed them, "Alan and I can only do so much so try not to have too much fun."

"Damn Brown!" Lester exclaimed. "Take all the joy out of it!"

"Men." Ranger growled. "It's time."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"You're very cute, little brother." Chris walked around Richard sneering at him. "You thought you would just hand me over to the Manosos did you? I fail to see how you gained anything from it."

Richard gave him a blank look. He had refused to answer so far. His back was aching. He had been whipped repeatedly in the last twenty minutes. He was doing his best not to scream out in pain but he knew he would only last so long before he gave in to the pain. All he knew was that Cami was safe and with her family. He would endure whatever he had to in order to make sure that happened.

"You must know, I've told Leona that you will be more than happy to fill her marriage bed." Chris said determined to get a rise out of him.

Richard's head shot up. "What?" His voice was raspy.

"It's just business. You'll cooperate of course." Chris said. "Obviously you won't be able to see her until you've healed and your lessons are complete, but when you do you'll do everything I tell you."

"Like hell I will." He growled. "I'd rather be dead than listen to you."

"Don't worry, Richard," Chris grinned cruelly at him, "I plan to make you wish for death for the rest of your life." He swung his fist into Richard's gut. Pulling back he prepared to do it again when the sound of a gunshot sounded off.

One of his men ran into the room. "Sir! They're…they're everywhere!"

Chris glared at his brother. Looking at a couple men standing near him he said, "Continue. I'll be back." He left the room to hearing the sounds of Richard continuing to be beaten.

He walked to his control room and looked at the monitors that showed what was going on outside his house. The man wasn't kidding. Men were everywhere. He looked closely. They were _Army _men. Fuck, he thought angrily. He didn't have the man power to get rid of them. He had to move fast.

Chris left the room and hurried to the other end of his father's house. There was a time when this had been a loving environment, he reflected briefly, but his stupid sister had to go and sign the deed over to Richard. Luckily, his lawyers were effective in making sure it came to him instead.

How would they have found out where he was? He wondered as he ascended the steps to where Elise was being kept. He kept it under his father's name and as far as he knew all the men out there were after Marcus Cortez. No, he corrected himself, they were after him now. Of course. He should have realized something was afoot when Elise addressed him as Ortega. That stupid little bitch. Once he got what he wanted out of her he was going show her exactly what he thought of her deceptiveness.

The house was three stories, not including the basement. He purposely put Elise on the top floor believing that it would be much more difficult for her to get away from them. Of course she was chained down, so finding someone to restrain her was going to be unnecessary. Perhaps when he was finished beating her he could sell her to someone as a slave. He had connections and there were men who loved to have a feisty woman.

Coming to the room Elise was in, he walked in. "Now, Jaguar, we have some business to discuss."

Elise was kneeling in the middle of the room looking at him. Her arms were chained behind her back. She couldn't contain the smirk that appeared on her face. "Cavalry has arrived have they?"

"You little bitch!" He snarled and hit her across the face.

"I have to admit, you took longer than I thought you would to get up here." She continued to taunt him. "I expected you up here the moment we got here. After all, you're never going to get back on top without your information."

Chris hit her again. "Where is it?" He roared angrily.

"I told you my dog tags were to come with me." Elise said smugly.

This time when Chris swung, Elise caught his arm with her hands. The chains dropped off her wrists. She kicked his legs out from under him, causing him to fall backwards. In moments they were both up circling each other.

"Impressive, Jaguar." He said, "I'm curious as to how you got out of those restraints."

"Every good Burg girl has a bobby pin." Elise said, channeling her mother.

"I'm going to enjoy ripping you apart." Chris snarled. "When I've broken you, I'm going to sell you to some men. How would you feel about spending the rest of your life as a whore?"

He swung, she counterattacked. Suddenly they both staggered as an explosion beneath them shook the house.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Report!"

Tank glared at Billy and Lester who gave the appearance of looking guilty as he answered Ranger, "They set the house ablaze. Richard is out. Alan has taken him back to the plane and currently tending his wounds. Mostly scratches. Should heal fine."

"Elise?"

"Unable to locate, sir." Another man's voice said, "We're searching the perimeter as we speak."

"Good," Randy said through the earpiece, "Look carefully, boys. When Donahue doesn't want to be found…"

"She won't be." Several others said together.

Billy and Lester went to work rigging together another small bomb. They weren't looking to destroy the entire house, but to smoke out Ortega. They knew he wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"Men, the whole house is up in flames," Peterson's voice came through.

"No sign of evacuees." Bobby reported.

Ranger growled dangerously through the mic system as he searched for his daughter. If she had gotten out, as Randy said she would stay hidden. Something he definitely agreed on with Mac, Elise had always been good at playing hide and seek, especially the hide part.

The men had moved quickly. He could only imagine Ortega's fury when he found a swarm of Army Rangers on his premises. Ranger wanted to laugh he was so disgusted with Ortega's 'defense'. He was in his fifties and he moved faster and better than any of the men that had tried to take out the Rangers.

"Oh fuck." Someone whispered through the system.

"Report!" Ranger barked.

"Fuck." Someone else said.

"Men!" Tank growled.

"Found Donahue." Darren said over the system. "Fucking A. It's beautiful."

It was then that Ranger recognized the sound of awe in the men's voices.

"Speak to us, boys," Ram ordered, "What's going on?"

"Captain and Ortega are going at it." Kyle said, "The walls are already ablaze. We can see them through the scopes."

"Whoever gets a clear shot, take Ortega out!" Ranger ordered as he turned toward the blazing inferno. Fuck, he thought angrily, he had to get his girl out of there.

"Not possible sir." Someone said.

"Are you questioning my orders?" He growled.

"Sir, no, sir."

"Then what's the problem?"

"They're too fast," Peterson's voice came on. "Any way it looks to get a shot at him, they move. It's…fuck…she's fast."

While Ranger looked for a way to get to his daughter, the other men looked for a way to safely get her out. Tank, Lester, Bobby and Ram looked through the scope of their own rifles and looked on in stunned disbelief as they saw Elise and Chris fighting. The men had a reason to be in awe, they realized. They had never seen someone move as quickly as Elise and Ortega were moving. Ranger had never moved as fast as they were.

The fight the men witnessed would turn to legend that went through for years of the Rangers. None of them had seen anything like it and they knew they would never see it again. Even as they found to find the remaining men and neutralize them, they could see glimpses of the fight through the fire. They would talk of the speed, the fact that Ortega was well above Elise in physique. A small woman against a giant man. Of course as the story would be later told, Ortega would grow into a much larger man than he was and Elise would become much smaller than she was. But the speed would never change.

The two fighters were completely oblivious to the fire around them, oblivious to the fact that as they moved across the floor the wood was weakening beneath them. Bobby was already figuring out everything he would need to help Elise the moment he got her.

But the moment the floor went out beneath them was the moment there was a collective hiss through everyone's earpiece. They were not going to let Captain Donahue go down.

"Shit!" Tank swore.

"Ranger!" Lester yelled.

From their spot where they were they could see Ranger charge straight into the fire. As he ran through the house, dodging falling beams and deadly flames he looked for Elise. The whole house was weakening. He didn't have a lot of time, but he was going to get her out and take her home. The floors had weakened enough that she had fallen through two of them and was on the ground floor. He could see her in the distance. She wasn't moving.

Elise coughed and struggled to get up. Her eyes opened and all she saw was smoke and orange. She looked over and saw Chris moving slower than her. Her body was screaming in pain. She knew she had broken something, or more than something she thought grimly. Fuck, she _hurt. _

At the edges of her consciousness was a blackness that was waiting to take her. It was ready for her. She struggled to get herself into a sitting position. A figure came toward her from the flames. She blinked. "Daddy?"

"Come on, Munchkin." Ranger said. "It's time to go home." He started toward Ortega to finish him off.

"No. Dad." She rasped out. He turned and looked at her. "I have to. I need to finish this."

Ranger looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. Coming back to her, he took quick inventory of her physical state. She was going to need _a lot _of medical attention when they got her out. He helped her sit up.

"Gun." She coughed against the smoke.

Ranger gave her his gun and watched she tried to force her body to hold it up and shoot. Her arm was shaking. Her hand was barely gripping the gun. Across the way of them, Ortega was slowly getting to his feet, his back to them. Ranger gently wrapped his arms around Elise, and helped her grip the gun.

"Come on, soldier," He heard her mutter, "Almost done."

Ranger's grip on her held firm. Together, they shot Ortega. Because of everything Elise had dealt with from him, she continued to fire until she emptied the clip. She looked up at her dad.

"I'm done." She whispered, the gun falling out of her hand as the blackness creeping around her swarmed in and pulled her into oblivion.


	28. Brotherly Revelations

**AN: I have to thank all of you once again for your wonderful reviews for the last chapter :-) I'm glad so many of you liked the way Ortega was taken out. I thought it was rather fitting myself :-D So here is another chapter for everyone. I hope you all enjoy this one as well. I wanted to show there were still some issues that Elise has never dealt with, or rather her method of dealing isn't all that great, and that there are pieces to her that Steph and Ranger are just finding out about b/c she's been too good at hiding her emotions about certain things. I hope everyone likes this!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own the original JE characters, the ones created to continue the story are mine! And I'm not making any money for this.**

**Please read and review!**

* * *

_Brotherly Revelations_

The waiting room was filled with men cloaked in black. They made the nurses nervous, and drew the curious looks of those brave enough to stare straight at them. Those who were not with the Army Rangers tried to make room but the waiting room was not large. They looked intimidating and were almost afraid to say anything. Most of them were extremely polite already and moved for those who were also waiting for some word of their own loved ones.

Stephanie almost found the sight comical, but new in the past whenever she had been injure, or Ranger had, the waiting room was always filled with Rangemen. Why would their oldest be any different? The little time she had been with the men who had flown in to help rescue her had told her Elise held a lot of respect from others she had worked with. It filled her with pride thinking of her daughter's success. But that pride was quickly overshadowed by the fear she felt waiting to hear from the doctors.

Beside her Ranger sat quietly, an arm around his wife, trying to center himself. He had been here so many times in the past for his own men, for Stephanie, but being here because of Elise was nerve shattering. No parent wanted to outlive their children. The logical side of him said that this was something that had always been a risk when she joined the Army, then the Rangers. He knew that. He knew from years what the fatality rate was.

But it was so much worse when he knew what happened and was waiting to hear.

His mind kept replaying the flight back to the states. Bobby and Alan had stabilized Elise from nearly the moment they had gotten onto the plane. Her left leg was broken, and they had decided to set it immediately to avoid any complications. Unfortunately right as they were about to do it, Elise had come back to consciousness.

_"Elise, we have to set your leg." Bobby told her. "We can give you medicine—"_

_"No." She growled, her voice raspy and filled with exhaustion. "Just set it."_

_"You need the medicine," Alan butt in, "I know what your medical says, but this is going to hurt."_

_"Don't care." She gasped out. "I won't be her. Just do it!"_

_Alan and Bobby looked at each other for a moment then nodded. Bobby looked at Ranger. "Boss. Hold your girl down."_

And he had. He'd held Elise down and had wished fervently that he could have taken away the pain she was in. The scream she let out when they set her leg still filled his mind. Her words echoed repeatedly, _I won't be her._

Across from him and Stephanie Cami sat fidgeting. She was trying to wait patiently, but she felt so torn between where to go. She wanted to be here to hear about her sister, but at the same time she wanted to be with Richard. She knew they had brought him back. She could feel him in the hospital. He had been taken straight into the back due to his injuries. Bobby and Alan had given her a brief description of his injuries. She knew he had been lucky not to endure worse than he had. Neither man believed Richard would be staying in the hospital overnight. He would take some patching up, but he should be just fine.

CJ and JJ sat next to her silently. CJ waited in silence due to inheriting his father's patience level. JJ was silent because of his training in the military. CJ wouldn't say it out loud but he was glad he and JJ moved past their issues. The utter panic that had disrupted his family for the last few weeks had been maddening and while he would have done anything he could to get out of the house and try helping, he knew JJ had been there to keep him from escaping. Although he was pretty sure a good part of that was due to JJ being scared of Stephanie.

Julie sat next to Alan, leaning into him seeking silent comfort. She knew Alan had worked hard to make sure Elise came back alive. They had worked hard to make sure she was stable enough to fly back to the states. They had been unwilling to risk landing anywhere other than Miami. All she knew for sure was that her sister's injuries were bad. Bobby and Alan seemed confident that she would make it through the surgeries just fine, but the doctor had come out at one point to talk to Ranger and Stephanie. They had taken the two medics with them to make sure they understood what was going on. It turned out that Elise's fight with Ortega had caused internal bleeding. There was damage done to her due to the fall through the burning building, smoke inhalation, broken leg and her entire body was going to make itself into a giant bruise. The doctor was cautiously optimistic about her, but he'd gone back in to continue the surgery quickly after speaking with them.

Now they sat silent, waiting to hear that Elise did indeed make it out of this whole ordeal alive.

Billy leaned forward after several minutes and pulled out his wallet. He couldn't take the silence anymore. "Randy. I got thirty says Captain wakes in the middle of the surgery and tries to take everyone out in that operating room."

Randy laughed. "Fifty says they've sedated her enough to keep her down for the next week."

"Sixty says they knock her full of pain meds to keep her down." Kyle said.

Victor leaned forward, "Eighty says she raises hell when she finds out they pumped her full of pain meds."

Stephanie watched them pull out money and hand it over to Alan. She was furious. "You're betting on my daughter?" Her voice was so cold that all the men in the waiting room looked at her surprised.

Billy spoke first. "No ma'am. We're not betting on her. We're betting on what she's going to do. Or what the doctors have to do."

"I fail to see the difference." Stephanie said stiffly. Ranger's arm around her tightened in comfort.

"The difference, ma'am, is that we would never bet on her life. As far as we're concerned, Captain's coming out of this. Someone like Ortega isn't going to be what takes her out. God himself is going to have to come take Elise." Billy said with a level of finality in his voice. "She's like our sister. We know what she's capable of. Most of the men here saw her at her finest tonight. We're betting because this is how we deal with waiting. She's done it with us too. I promise Elise would be pretty surprised if she found out we weren't."

"Yeah," Darren said, "Once Billy was in surgery and Elise bet that he wouldn't be having sex for two months due to his injuries."

"It was a sad day when it was true." Billy sighed depressed.

Stephanie felt her lips twitch slightly. "And whoever wins is going to do what with the money?"

"Buy Tastykakes." All the men replied.

That startled her. "What?"

"We all agreed to spend the money on one thing." Kyle told her. "That way, we all win."

"It started when you sent Elise a care package to the base that had some Tastykakes in it. She let us have one and we sorta got completely hooked." Victor said with a grin.

Stephanie let out a choked laugh at that. Cami looked thoughtful for a moment, then asked, "You said she was at her finest tonight? Why?"

"If you see her fight…it's something else." Billy leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. "There is something epic about the way she does it too."

"She's fast." Kyle nodded. "They capitalized on that when we were training."

"No, that's not it. Not completely." Billy shook his head. "Captain's got a lot of repressed anger and rage. That's what fuels her when she has to fight."

"What?" Cami looked confused. "Why would Elise be angry?"

"Birth mother was a crack whore who would have sold her to the first willing man who had a thing for little girls and her birth father was killed by a maniac before she got a chance to really know him." Billy opened his eyes and looked at her. "Solid reasons for being angry if you ask me."

Cami chewed on that thought for several minutes. While she knew Elise had been adopted, it had never fazed her attitude toward her older sister. She had always seen Elise as her big sister. She was part of the Manoso clan with all its madness and love. It had never occurred to her that _Elise _might resent being part of their family. That she might have preferred being with her birth father, or blood relatives. Was that why she had joined the Army? Did she want to stay away from them as much as she could without hurting anyone's feelings?

"Does she not want us?" Cami asked softly unaware that she had spoken aloud.

"No, Cami, don't." Billy sat forward and reached over grabbing her hands. "Cuteness, you _are _her family. She'd die to protect all of you."

"But…"

"Wouldn't you be angry if your parents were killed?" He asked gently. Cami nodded. "Elise is angry that Mac Donahue was taken from her after he saved her from a bad place, but she does love all of you." He grinned, then pulled out his phone. He pulled up a picture and showed it to her. Elise was sitting on a bed reading a letter with a grin of peace on her face. "I took this when she wasn't looking. She was reading a letter from your mom." He nodded towards Stephanie. "I think it had something to do with your first date."

Cami laughed, remembering the debacle that had been. Randy smiled from beside Billy. "Cami, when she was done reading that letter all she could do was laugh. She said when she got home she was going to help you go on a date without all the trackers and GPS system your dad put on all your cars. We could see how much she loves you guys."

"A few years ago, we came back from a bad mission." Billy said. "Elise took a bad hit. She was going to be in the hospital for a few weeks. After her surgery the doctors were giving her a rundown of all the injuries, the expected time it was going to take for her to heal, all that jazz. She just watches him until he's finished. Then she asks what the date was."

"And given the mission dealing with Ortega, it brought up a lot of concern that she could have a head injury as well." Darren added.

"Doc asks her what the last date she remembered was. When she told him we were all relieved because it had only been a couple days. She'd been under some heavy anesthesia to keep her down during surgery." Billy picked the story up again. "Doc tells her the date and she's quiet for several moments then pulls him down and says, "Doctor, my little brother is graduating high school in two weeks. You have exactly ten days to get me cleared to leave." He tried to argue with her, but she wasn't listening to him."

"Elise didn't show up until my graduation day." CJ said. "She almost missed it."

Billy grinned and looked at Alan who was looking very smug. "Well, that's where it gets fun. After a couple days of lying in bed, refusing to take pain meds or anything to help, she decided to get up and check herself out."

"She's as good a patient as you." Stephanie said to Ranger.

"Babe."

"Unfortunately for her, Alan caught her before she could finish signing the papers." Victor started laughing.

"Why is that funny?" Julie demanded.

"Because he sedated her so fast she never saw it coming."

"Course, then we learned how deceptive Alan can be. He knew Elise was going to wake up and raise hell. So he did the next best thing." Kyle said.

"What was that?"

"I called Bobby." Alan replied.

Bobby laughed. "That was what my 'business trip' was. Alan didn't want worry you guys, so I went down to DC to deal with Elise."

"And that was epic. Elise had woken up and was chewing Alan out when Bobby walked in." Darren was nodding. "You sure as hell didn't waste time getting in her face."

"I've dealt with Steph and Ranger when they're patients. I learned." Bobby grinned, "Plus, I knew it would take one good threat to call them and she'd behave."

"You threatened to call us? Why didn't you?" Stephanie demanded.

"She didn't want CJ to miss his graduation and knew that's what would happen." Bobby replied. "Plus, Alan and I kept sedating her for a week to keep her under so her body could heal."

"That's what she meant!" Stephanie exclaimed suddenly. She told them about the conversation they had with Elise the night of the business dinner when they had met Richard for the first time had been given some headway into where Cami was.

"Yeah," Billy shook his head. "It was awesome watching her shrink back from someone."

"Elise wouldn't shrink back." Ranger said. "She's probably still plotting against both of you for that."

"Not me," Bobby said. "She knew I wouldn't hesitate to call you if she didn't behave. She couldn't sweet talk her way out of anything with me that week."

"Are we talking about the same little girl?" Lester asked. "The one who sweet talked all of us into playing tea party repeatedly? The little girl who could have, and probably still could, talk us into committing murder for her?"

"The very same little girl who put make up on you after you fell asleep, Lesley," Bobby replied cheerfully.

The men laughed. The conversation made Ranger realize what Elise's words meant. _I won't be her._ Shit, he thought, she was afraid of taking any sort of medication on the chance that she would become addicted to them like her birth mother. That just wouldn't do, he decided. He was going to make sure Elise knew that she could handle pain medication, that it would not turn her into a druggie. He knew he was the pot calling the kettle black by deciding his daughter was going to take pain medication, but he had heard of some of her injuries thanks to some of his connections. The fact that she'd allowed herself to suffer through it for fear of falling into her birth mother's footsteps was just completely unacceptable.

"Wait a second," Julie said when everyone calmed down, "Is that why Elise stayed at RangeMan when she was in Trenton that week?"

"Yep." Bobby and Alan both had satisfactory smug looks on their faces. Bobby continued talking. "I told her she was staying at RangeMan so I could monitor her and keep track of her injuries and if she fought me on it I was getting Ranger and Bomber. The fact that she was at CJ's graduation would say she agreed to it."

"See, cuteness, you're her family." Billy grinned and patted her hands which he still held. Letting go and leaning back he said, "She won't let anyone tell her differently, and she won't let them tell you any different."

"Sir! You can't be out of bed—sir! You're very injured and need to—sir!"

They all looked over to the commotion. Trevor was walking toward them. The nurse followed him trying to get ahold of him to lead him back to his own room to no avail. He continued towards them ignoring the nagging of the nurse. When he got to the Manoso's he turned and barked at the nurse. "Go get my fucking papers and I'll sign myself out if it'll get you away from me!"

Alan smothered a chuckle, "Ma'am, I'll keep an eye on him. I'm our medic."

"See that you do." She turned off in a huff, "Insufferable man."

Trevor ignored the insult and looked at everyone. "How is she?"

"No word yet," Julie told him.

Trevor sighed and sat down. Stephanie looked at him with a motherly look. "Trevor, you shouldn't be out of bed yet. We would have come to you to let you know what Elise's condition is."

Lester and Tank watched Trevor give Stephanie a blank look. "I'm not leaving until I know she's fine."

"Have you noticed," Lester said conversationally to Tank, "That all Ranger's girls have gotten themselves men like himself?"

"How do you figure?" Tank asked.

"Richard did everything he could to make sure Cami came home to us, even sacrificing himself for her safety," Lester made the first point.

Tank nodded, "Ah, yes. Similar to the many times Ranger did it to Stephanie."

"We're right here you know." Stephanie said loudly.

They ignored her and Lester continued, "And Trevor has the _hide the emotion_ attitude that Ranger made famous."

"That's true." Victor joined the conversation. "You wouldn't believe how long it took Elise and Trevor to admit how they felt. All of us could see it."

"Sounds very familiar." Tank nodded again.

"And then there's Alan, who we're learning is trickier than he gives off." Lester said. "I think we're just starting to scratch the surface with him."

"And he's was a Ranger." Bobby said.

"You know what they say," Tank said grinning at Ranger who was giving all of them his patented glare, "Girls always marry their daddies."

"Good thing I had boys." Lester snickered.

"Too bad for the women of the world," Stephanie sighed.

"That's where she gets it!" Darren pointed at Stephanie laughing. Stephanie grinned at him.

Trevor barely listened to the conversation. His eyes were glued to the hall where the doctors were currently working on his lover. He knew her, he knew she would fight Ortega with every ounce of strength she had. She wouldn't give up until one of them was dead.

"Ortega?" He asked not removing his eyes from the corridor.

"Taken down by the father/daughter duo!" Billy told him.

His lips quirked upward into a small smile. He continued to stare down the hall willing the doctor to come out and tell all of them Elise was fine. He could only imagine the grouch she would be when she came out of this. He loved her more than anything in the world, but he knew how much it was going to bug her being stuck in the hospital for any length of time.

"Current pool?" He asked.

"We're betting on what she'll do." Billy told him. "We didn't finish because we were telling Cami about the couple weeks leading up to CJ's graduation."

Trevor turned his head from the hallway and looked at all them. Amusement lit his face. Stephanie saw how handsome he looked when he relaxed briefly.

"Yeah, Alan didn't get to place his bet." Julie said.

"Alan is not allowed to bet on medical things." Billy said.

"That's not fair if it's all going to the same thing." She argued.

"It's the principle of the matter."

"How?"

"He's the medic." Billy glared at Alan who simply grinned and crossed his ankles. "_He _knows exactly what it will take to put Elise down for surgery and knows the likeliness of her waking up, what she'll be like after she's awake, etc."

"So what you're saying is it's a sucker bet if he gets in on it?" Tank asked.

"Pretty much."

Trevor pulled out his wallet. "Second pool. Fifty says Elise wipes the floor with your asses for telling that story."

"I'll take that bet!" Cami said suddenly and grabbed her purse.

"Cami!" Stephanie couldn't stop the surprise that came to her face.

Without looking at her mother, Cami said, "Mom, they brought Elise and Rick back to us. I'd buy them the whole damn Tastykake factory if I could." Then she did look at her mom and Stephanie smiled softly. Her daughter was right. Cami was saying thank you by joining them in something that helped them cope, and gave them something sweet to enjoy.

She looked at her husband, "Carlos, I need your wallet."

Ranger raised an eyebrow and grinned slightly. He pulled it out and pulled a couple hundred out. "Both of us will take that bet too."

Cami couldn't help but grin as she watched CJ and Julie and her uncles pull out money themselves and all handed it to Trevor. She and Stephanie shared a grin. Steph watched as her daughter's face turned from smiling to one of puzzlement. She reached up absently and touched her neck. Looking around she suddenly exclaimed, "Rick!"

Cami took off down the hall at the sight of him coming toward her. Without thinking she launched herself into his arms. Those who saw Richard's face saw a look that said _home _as he embraced her. Stephanie gave a mental sigh of relief, glad that Richard had come to see Cami and was there with them. If he had simply disappeared to keep her safe, well, Stephanie had been prepared to make sure Ranger went on a hunting trip to bring their daughter's love back whether he wanted to or not.

"Rick." Cami breathed softly in his ear. She pulled back and cupped his face in her hands. "Are you okay?"

"I am now." He assured her.

"Oh! Did I hurt you?" She asked realizing she had probably grabbed him too tightly since he was injured.

"It's a pain I gladly take." Richard kissed her softly, enjoying the feel of her, knowing he was home with her. "By the way, your sister…she's insane."

"How so?" Cami asked leading him back to where she'd been sitting. He told them most of the conversation they'd had.

"Before we landed, she was humming." Richard shook his head.

"What was she humming?" Billy demanded.

"Why is that important?" Julie asked.

"It just is."

"Enter the Sandman." Richard told him. "And she looked a little evil."

All of Elise's men grinned and nodded. Kyle leaned back. "I love it when that's the song she's humming."

"It means we get to have lots of fun." Alan explained to Julie.

"Metallica's Enter the Sandman tells you that you're going to have lots of fun?" Julie raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well…yeah." Alan shrugged. "We have a few different songs that we hum or sing when we're going to mission."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Darren said. "Whenever we leave for base, Victor breaks out his guitar and we do a strong rendition of _Leaving On A Jet Plane_."

"Just be glad she wasn't humming Beethoven's 5th," Billy told Richard, "Things would have really been ugly then."

"Uglier than they were?" Ranger asked in a dry tone of voice.

"Dude…I mean sir…It was OP TLC. Anything and everything could have happened." Billy said as though it were matter of fact.

"Carlos." Stephanie said softly clutching his hand.

He looked at his wife and saw her gaze riveted at the end of the hall. Turning he saw the doctor walking slowly toward them.


	29. The Impatience of Waiting

**AN: Hola, everyone. I'm sorry it's taken so long to get this updated. I hit a bit of a snag trying to figure out how I wanted this chapter to go. It's a busy chapter to be honest. I've noticed this story may go a little past summer, but hopefully not too far. Thank you everyone who has reviewed. It means the world to me that you're sticking with the story. I hope all of you like this chapter. There's a bit of intensity, a bit of anger, humor, love, etc. **

**So without further ado...here's chapter 29! Please Review when you're done! :-D**

* * *

_The Impatience of Waiting_

Cami sat in the chapel staring straight ahead at the cross on the wall that had Jesus on it. She looked down at her hands finally and took a deep breath, which came out as a shudder when tears filled her eyes. "God? It's me, Cami—Camille Marie Manoso. I know we haven't spoken recently, but…I really need to talk to you now if you've got a moment."

She sniffled and clutched her hands tightly continuing to speak. "I—we—need you to give Elise back to us. She doesn't deserve what happened to her. You know she only did it because Chris took me to get revenge on her." The lump in her throat began to feel like it was bruising. She closed her eyes and willed herself to calm down. "And you also know that what happened between them the first time was only because Elise was ridding the world of someone who profited from peoples' addictions that led to their deaths. He was cruel…and Elise…well, she's like Batgirl if you think about it. She rid the world of someone evil." The tears came and this time Cami was unable to stop them. "Please, God, I don't ask for Elise back for me, because I might not deserve to ask you for anything, but I ask for her back for our family, for Trevor, for her men."

Two different hands came and each grasped one of hers. CJ and Julie sat on either side of her, clutching her hands as tightly as she clutched theirs, the sibling solidarity bonding them in a new way as they sat together praying for their other sibling. Cami kept talking, "We're not done with Elise, God. I know Mac is up there, and it's probably awfully tempting for her to stay with him, but give her back. We're not done with her yet. She can't leave us now. I have to tell her how much I love her. How it doesn't matter who was involved in her conception, that's she's our sister…even if she might not want us." Suddenly a bit of anger surged through her, "And you know what? I need to kick her ass." Cami looked up at the ceiling. "You know I can."

CJ tried unsuccessfully to hide a snort of laughter. Cami gave a bashful look. "What? I could. I'm bigger."

"You're taller, sis." Julie corrected softly. Over the last several days they had all been unsuccessful in getting Cami to eat a big enough meal to help regain the weight she had lost when she was with Chris. Cami had never been heavy, and had always been slim, but it was painfully obvious the amount of weight she had lost. Richard seemed to be the only one who could get her to eat anything at all. Even then, it wasn't much.

"Fine." Cami turned her attention to the cross. "I'll verbally kick her ass. I might not be strong, or as fast as her, but I can argue with her with the best of them. God…please?" Her voice turned small, filled with unshed tears and emotions, "Please give our sister back to us. Mom and Dad can't bury one of their children. It's just cruel. And Trevor…he and Elise deserve a chance for each other. All the guys have said it took forever for them to actually admit their feelings for each other. They can't lose one another yet. They should have at least a hundred years together." Cami bowed her head, her hands tightening in CJ and Julie's grips. "God, please…we might not be the best of people but we love Elise, she's our sister. I need my big sister—both of them." Julie and CJ looked at each other over the top of Cami's head, their eyes full with tears of their own. CJ would never admit that he could be emotional, but in moments like this, when his family was concerned, he could admit it. They were the only ones who would see this side of him.

"Thank you for listening." Cami said. "Oh…and if Grandma Mazur is up there…well, sorry. We can't really explain her, but we loved her to death. Amen."

"Amen." CJ and Julie said softly after her.

"Amen." Two voices behind them said. All three of them turned and saw Stephanie and Ranger standing a few feet away from them. They were holding hands, and Stephanie had tears coming down her cheeks. CJ looked away from his parents and sisters to give himself a moment.

"Has there been any change?" Cami asked.

Stephanie shook her head. "None yet."

"Elise's vitals still look good and strong." Ranger said as he led Stephanie to the pew behind their children. "Bobby said at this point it's only a matter of time until Elise wakes."

"It's been over a week." Julie said softly. "Shouldn't they be worried a little bit?"

"Elise needs to heal," Stephanie said, "She's keeping herself in a coma. I imagine her body is taking the time to heal…and perhaps her mind is taking time to deal with everything as well."

"Oh…I didn't tell Rick where I went." Cami stood suddenly.

"He found you already." CJ said. "He told Julie and me you might need us."

Cami smiled. "I'll go find him, and we'll give Trevor a break. He's been sitting with Elise more than the rest of us."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

The pale moonlight shined through the window on the two lovers. They both lay awake, spooning together, keeping their bodies touching as much as possible. The physical connection they craved from one another was as intense as the emotional one they had shared for over twenty years. Stephanie sought the strength that Ranger always gave her, and Ranger sought the comfort that Stephanie always gave him.

Stephanie rolled over to her other side, so she was facing her husband. He pulled her close so their skin continued to touch. "Carlos…I'm scared."

"I know, Babe." Ranger reached up and caressed her cheek softly with his fingertips. "The doctors, Bobby and Alan, all said it's a waiting game. You heard her men; she's been in worse situations."

"Maybe physical." Stephanie whispered, "But what about mental? God, Carlos, how have we missed the attitude she's held all these years? How could we have missed the anger?"

"Steph," Ranger kissed her softly, "Elise protected herself in the way she figured out how. I know she loves all of us. I can see it in her eyes when she is with us."

"How can you be so sure?" She asked sadly.

"Babe, I'm a trained observer." He wrapped both arms around her tightly. "This whole thing with Ortega tore her up because it became too personal. He took Trevor to hurt her and then he took Cami when Trevor was uncooperative. There's been a lot of breaking on her sanity these last few weeks. When she's awake we can talk to her."

"Carlos…I don't think I can take it if she tells us she didn't want us to be her parents." Stephanie said quietly.

"You know that's not true, Babe." If it was remotely possible (and with Ranger everything was remotely possible) he hugged Stephanie tighter to him. "Don't you remember when we got you back from Traymon? Elise slept with us for weeks until she knew neither of us was going anywhere. And when we told her that you had complete custody of her she asked you if that made you her mommy. Babe, you have been Elise's mother for the last twenty-one years."

"She went to find Lorraine, remember?"

"Yeah, she did." Ranger nodded. "That was bound to happen sometime. She told us she wanted to understand where she came from. It was an eye opening moment for her when she found out about Lorraine."

Stephanie smiled and kissed him softly. "I know. You're right. I'm just…feeling so emotionally drained from this whole thing. Cami getting taken, then Elise trading herself to get Cami home and now us waiting for her to wake up."

"I know, Babe." Ranger kissed her. "We got through it, and when she wakes up, we'll get through her recovery."

"Carlos, how are you?" She asked cupping his cheek.

"Babe?"

She chuckled, "You can't expect me to believe you were completely unemotional watching our daughter fall through three stories of a burning building."

"Fuck, Babe, I felt like I had years shaved off my life." He admitted. "All I saw was our little girl lying there on the bottom floor unmoving. The relief when she opened her eyes and looked at me…I can't describe it, Babe."

"Was she really as magnificent as the men are saying?"

"Yeah," Stephanie smiled as she heard the pride in his voice, "Yeah, she was. They'll be talking about it for years in the Rangers."

"Do you…do you ever think you could've talked her out of joining the Rangers?" She asked after several moments of silence.

Ranger was silent for several minutes, thinking back to when they had found out Elise had joined the Rangers. "I don't know, Babe. If I had been given an advanced warning, I might have tried, but I don't think I would have succeeded. Our girl is pretty stubborn."

"Carlos…while you and the men were gone, Rachel mentioned that after the incident with Scrog she took Julie to a therapist. I think it might be a good idea for Cami to see one."

Inwardly he agreed with his wife, but he still asked, "Did something happen while we were gone?"

"Yes." Stephanie nodded. "I brought the kids back here to wait because I couldn't handle being at Rangeman waiting. Lula came to wait with us and she kept calling Cami Camille. You could see her pulling in on herself until she finally snapped at Lula and ran out of the room."

"What did she say?"

"She said her name is Cami, not Camille." Stephanie whispered. "I hate that that bastard made it so she won't respond to her full name."

"We'll take care of her, Babe."

They fell into silence. They lay there staring at one another, falling into each other's eyes. Hands began roaming, seeking comfort and love, seeking a release from the weeks that had been hell on both of them. One of her legs slid up his until she hooked it around his waist, his fingers found her wet and waiting. He stroked her gently, groaning when her teeth caught the sensitive skin at the crook of his neck in her grip. Her hips thrust against his, waiting for him to enter her. Unable to wait for the connection to his wife, he slid deep into her, burying himself fully. Letting out a delighted gasp as he moved within her, she moved to catch his mouth with hers, and together they moved fervently, seeking love, comfort and release.

When the morning light hit the skies, Stephanie and Ranger came down the stairs and found Cami wrapped tightly in Richard's arms on the couch. Ranger shot his wife a look, and she raised her hands saying, "You told them he had to sleep on the couch. You never told her she had to stay in her bed."

"Babe!" He growled.

"Carlos." Stephanie took his hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly. "Right now, Cami feels the safest with Rick. You saw her reaction when we got her back. I would never wish that agony on our children. He's the only one who can get her to eat anything right now." She kissed his knuckles. "I know the overprotective father in you is ready to kill him and never have his body found, but think of where we'd be if Rick hadn't been there to protect Cami."

"I don't want to." He grumbled dragging his wife down the rest of the stairs past the living room and into the kitchen. "I want to kill him and bury him."

"Does that mean you're going to kill and bury Alan and Trevor?" She asked sitting at the breakfast bar.

"It wouldn't be fair if I just killed one of them. All three would have to go."

"Uh huh. And how do you plan to keep them from finding other men?" Stephanie asked.

"I'll lock them up in a tower." He decided.

She let out a snort. "Yeah, Batman, that'll work. You're forgetting Elise has had the same training as you, and would figure out how to get out of the tower, oh, and Julie and Cami are just dare devilish enough to join her."

"Babe." He knew he sound like he was whining. Maybe he was, but he wasn't ready to let all his girls go yet. He could see the connection between his girls and their loves as clearly as he could feel the connection between him and Stephanie. Much as it irked his overprotective side, he would never come between his daughters and their happiness. It would make him feel like his mother-in-law, and that thought made him shudder with fear.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Julie walked into Elise's room. With a small sigh she went over to where Trevor had passed out next to Elise. His head was on the bed, one hand clutching her good hand. Bobby and Alan had been persistent in keeping track of his health, especially since the doctor threw a disapproving look in his direction every chance he got, which was every time he came in to check on Elise.

On the floor by Trevor's feet was a sketchbook that Billy had brought for him. She knelt down and picked it up smiling when she saw the first sketch. It was from the Fourth of July. Elise was sitting with her family laughing and looking relaxed without a care in the world. Trevor had caught all of them perfectly, she realized looking at the sketch. Ranger, the family patriarch, towering proudly over his family, but his eyes shining with love towards his wife, stood behind everyone. CJ and Cami were sitting on the edge of the pool, both laughing. Cami looked like her bubbly self, or the bubbly self she had been, while CJ looked every bit like their father. Stephanie and Elise were together on a lounge chair clearly in animated discussion. Julie traced the sketch softly as she found herself standing next to Ranger giving him an amused look. Which happened often, she thought. She got a huge kick out of her father's attitude toward their family at times.

"Trevor." Julie touched his shoulder lightly. He jerked upright.

"What?"

"Go get some rest."

"No."

"Trevor, please?"

"No."

"Will you at least get cleaned up a bit?" Julie changed tactics. "I'm pretty sure Elise doesn't want you to not take care of yourself."

"I'll be fine, after she wakes." Trevor said decidedly.

_Fuck, he's stubborn, _Julie thought dryly. "Trevor, please? I need some time with my sister."

Trevor looked at her and saw the need in her eyes. He nodded. "Alright. Just…"

"Don't worry, I'll call if anything changes." Julie grinned at him.

"Thanks." He looked back at Elise. Leaning down he kissed her softly. "Come back to me, love." He whispered in her ear.

After he left, Julie sat down in the chair he had occupied. She looked at her sister intently. Her left leg was broken, her right wrist was fractured, and today she still looked like a giant bruise. Her chest moved up and down slowly, and the heart monitor indicated that her heart rate was nice and steady. The internal bleeding had been stopped, and just had it had been predicted, Elise had woken swinging during the operation. It had taken a much heavier sedative to take her down than most people. Alan had explained to her that Elise had always had a high tolerance for medications so they usually had to find something that was more intense. On her good hand, Julie could see the fading bruises on her knuckles from her fight with Chris. Alan couldn't tell her anything about the fight because at that point he had been back at the plane with Bobby and both of them were working on Richard.

The doctors, Bobby, and Alan had told everyone to talk to her when they were visiting. Usually her room was filled with people. Ranger had arranged for Elise to be put into a private room. The doctors had taken one look at the unyielding look on his face and hurried to do as he requested. She could hear them, Bobby explained, so everyone had talked to her. Or around her, or included her in their conversations. The room was rarely silent. Except for now. Right now it was early and Julie knew she had a little time to talk to her sister before everyone started showing up.

She took a deep breath. "When I came up to see you graduate high school and you told me you found your birth mother and were planning to go see her before your graduation day, I thought okay." She drew her knees up to her chin. "You told me she was in New York and I knew Dad would have both of our asses if I let you go alone…but I didn't want you to meet her alone. I wanted to make sure you had one of us with you. Since you didn't want Dad or Steph to know yet, I figured it had better be me. Hell, CJ and Cami were too small to go with you on something like that. I figured the trip would be fine. We did things together just us pretty often, so what was there to be worried about? Then you gave me the folder containing everything you had found on Lorraine Donahue. It made sense when you told me you were curious. How could I blame you for that? Then I started reading the folder and I decided you weren't curious. You were just out of your ever-loving fucking mind. At that point I couldn't understand what on earth would possess you to want to meet a crack whore."

Julie closed her eyes and took a calming breath. Opening them she found Ranger standing in the door way. He simply nodded at her, telling her to continue. She had a feeling he'd heard most of it. She looked back at Elise. "Half way to New York, I was ready to convince you that it was a bad idea and that we should just go home, but I couldn't. The only thing I could think was what would I do if I were in your position? If it hadn't been for Scrog, then I would have been in your position. Dad came to visit when he was invited and it wasn't often. I knew at some point I would have wanted to understand more about myself, especially when my mom kept telling me that I was more and more like him every day. Ron is great, but I don't pick any habits up from him. If Scrog hadn't taken me then I would have come looking for dad at some point trying to figure things out.

"So I set aside my gut feeling and went with you." Julie smiled. "You probably didn't know this, but after looking at everything you had found on Lorraine, I was set on trying to convince you and Dad that you should work at Rangeman. Next to Steph you've got the best nose for tracking details, but we went to that play and you told me you had joined the Army and were planning to join the Rangers…" She glanced up at Ranger, who barely covered the surprise on his face, "…and judging from the look on Dad's face, I would say you hadn't told them when I told you to." She looked back at her sister and pretended Ranger wasn't there. It was easier for her to pretend to be alone, but it was comforting having him with her so she couldn't bring herself to ask him to leave. "God, Elise, when we saw Lorraine the next day…you have no idea how glad I was to have gone with you. I've never seen you go into any kind of shock before or after that event. I don't know if you were even aware of the fact that we had gotten ourselves surrounded by all of her pimp's men. All I knew was I had to get you out of there and that I was really glad to have my gun. Luckily the police came before things got really ugly. I don't know that I could've explained successfully to anyone why I shot up a diner full of people."

Julie sighed and gave in to some pent up anger. "Fuck…Elise. The _Rangers?_ I could understand being in the Army because Dad and Mac had been in the army, but did you have to join the Rangers? Did you have to see the ugly in the world to appreciate the love you have at home? Or did you just want to stay away from us that much?" Tears came unbidden to her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. "It was scary for us to not know if Cami was alive or not, but it was even scarier not knowing if you were coming home at all. But it can't all be a bad thing, can it? You might not have found Trevor and I might not have Alan. I'd like nothing more than to take you down to the mats at RangeMan when you wake up, but I know you'd probably be able to make me eat the mat without much effort." When the tears wouldn't stop, she felt herself pulled into her father's embrace.

"Sorry," She sniffled after several minutes.

"Nothing to be sorry for, Jules." Ranger murmured. "It was always scary not knowing if she was coming back or not."

"Can I kick her ass when she's awake?"

"Maybe let her heal a little first."

"Was it worse for you?" Julie asked looking up at him. "Knowing what she was seeing?"

"I don't know if I'd say it was worse." He admitted. "There were things I saw that I would never want any of you to see, but Elise chose to take that path, and all my kids are stubborn. Talking any of you out of something is like asking a mountain to move." He tugged on a lock of Julie's hair. "I just knew what to expect and how to help her deal when she came home."

"I'm glad she did." Julie whispered.

Ranger nodded in agreement as his oldest child clung to him. Julie, Elise and CJ were the most like him, he thought, capable of holding their emotions down and keeping a blank look on their face. Cami had always been like Stephanie. Her face was expressive and even now, they could see the haunted look in her eyes. Elise's sleeping form gave the appearance of peace, but he knew her mind was probably anything but peaceful. He would like nothing more than for Elise to open her eyes and look at all them.

"_What?" _A voice shrieked from outside the room. Julie and Ranger turned and watched Cami storm into the room with a snickering CJ and JJ behind her. Richard looked thoroughly amused. Cami stopped at the foot of Elise's bed. "Elise, you need to know when you wake up Billy might be dead if I can catch him."

"Aw, come on, Cami, it's endearing." CJ said continuing to snicker.

Cami whirled around and glared at him. "Operation _Baby Manoso? _Do I look like a baby to you?" She looked at Richard, "Well? Do I?"

Richard could feel the glare Ranger was giving him without looking at him. He looked up at a clock. "Um…baby, I've got a check up to get to. I'll bring you some lunch." He hustled out of the room.

"Smart man." Ranger muttered low enough that Julie heard him and giggled.

"Where's mom?" CJ asked.

"She decided to deliver the care packages of Tastykakes to Elise's men. She stopped at RangeMan then she'll be here." Cami said as she took a chair on the other side of Elise. "You should wake up now, sis."

They all took seats that were spread out among the private room. The conversation moved from the intense one Julie was having with Elise to casual things they wanted to do when Elise woke. Through the window of the room, Ranger saw Richard return about an hour later. There was a man who met him in the hall. He saw Richard's expression turn dark and angry. Cami's back was to the window so she couldn't see what was going on. A folder was thrust into Richard's hands. He looked at like it was a snake ready to bite him. The mysterious man turned and walked away leaving Richard standing there. He was still staring at the folder in his hand. With a shake of his head he turned and walked away from the room.

Cami turned at just the right moment to see Richard walking away. "Rick?" She stood and hurried out of the room. "Rick!" She caught up with him and caught his wrist with her hand. "Where are you going?"

"I need to get out for a while." He said.

"What's wrong?" She looked at him quizzically. "Did your check up not go well?"

"Checkup was fine." Richard replied.

"What is it then? You haven't been like this since we were at Chris's." Her eyes widened. "Oh, god, he's not dead is he?"

"He's dead." Richard snapped. "But I still can't get away from that fuck."

"Why not?"

He leaned back against the wall and held up the folder. "This is from Chris's lawyer. He's been trying to get ahold of me for several days. I haven't been too interested in what his lawyer has to say. Seems he decided he was going to track me down instead."

"What did he want?"

"To tell me what Chris left me in his will."

"The family dog?" Cami said hopefully.

"Baby, we don't have a family dog. If we did it would have run away for its own safety."

"What did he leave you?"

"Everything."

"What?" She whispered with dread. "What does that mean?"

"It means he left me all his money, his estates, the _fucking business_." He spat the last part. "This is my curse, isn't it? To never get rid of him."

"No." Cami shook her head. "We're getting rid of him."

"Cami, I can't get rid of anything. He's got it tied up so tight if I try I could end up in legal suits for the rest of my life."

"Well, Chris clearly never considered dealing with the Manosos." Cami grabbed his hand and pretty much dragged him back down the hallway. She poked her head into the room. "Daddy?"

Ranger looked at the wide eyed, innocent look Cami was giving him. It was a look that had suckered him into a lot of things over the years. It was a look that made him wary of anything she was about to say. "Cami."

"We need to see you out here for a moment."

"What can I help you with?" Ranger asked coming out of the room.

"Rick needs your help."

"Cami, I'll take care of it." Richard said.

"How?" Cami asked folding her arms over her chest. "You just said if you try anything you could end up in legal suits for the rest of your life. You'll have to forgive me if I refuse to see Chris win any more than he already has."

"Cami—"

"No." She waved an arm towards the room. "Elise is still unconscious, Rick. So far, Chris is still winning. He's in Hell, but he's still winning. I'm not letting him take you from me again, so you'd better swallow your pride and talk to my dad. He's the best. He can help."

Richard looked at Ranger. "Does she always get like this?"

"When she's feeling exceptionally stubborn she does." Ranger replied.

Cami glared at him. "Rick!"

"Alright!" He said exasperated. "Damn."

"Good." Cami smiled. "I'll leave you two to it." She left them standing in the hallway.

Ranger felt sympathy towards Richard at the confounded look he was sending in Cami's direction. He didn't blame him. Cami had always been like that. Something she got from her mother, Ranger thought. "Alright, son, what's going on?"

Richard sighed and handed him the folder explaining the situation to him. Ranger looked through the file, mildly impressed with Chris's thoroughness on his will. It was almost as good as his. Almost. "I can have my lawyer look at this. I'd say you're safe when it comes to the business considering Elise confiscated everything Chris would need to get his business running the way it was. You're sure you don't want any of his money?"

"I don't want anything from him. I don't need his fortune. It's all blood money."

Ranger nodded. "Alright. I'll call my lawyer."

"Thank you, sir."

They walked back to the room. Richard was not surprised to find Stephanie and Trevor back. He had been surprised when they showed up earlier and Trevor was missing. He was sitting in his chair, holding onto Elise's hand, eyes glued to her. Stephanie walked up to Ranger and kissed him. "Carlos, you left these on your desk." She opened her hand and Elise's dog tags were sitting in her palm. "I thought we should make sure she has them. She always said they make her brave and safe."

He nodded. Stephanie went to the side of the bed that Trevor wasn't dominating and took her daughter's hand. "Come on, Munchkin, open your eyes for us." Stephanie murmured giving her forehead a kiss. She placed the dog tags in Elise's hand. Stephanie looked at Trevor, and smiled softly at the look of pure love in his eyes. At this moment, she knew he didn't care who saw his feelings. For people who had a hard time expressing how they felt toward one another, the last weeks had definitely changed that, Stephanie thought thinking of the phone that was still currently nailed to the conference room wall.

Julie sat up suddenly from her position. "Elise?"

Stephanie looked at Julie then looked to what had caught her attention. Elise's hand closed over the dog tags.


	30. A Father's Love

**AN: I'm sorry for the long wait in this chapter. I wanted to do something a little different, and I hope everyone enjoys it, but I was sort of fightng with it. Thank you everyone who has reviewed. It still means so much to me that all of you are still reading this story and keeping up with me :-) I don't own anything, I'm just playing :-)**

**Please read and review!**

* * *

_A Father's Love_

_I was once told that my parents had a happy marriage. Years later I was told it was a_ _marriage of convenience because my father got my mother pregnant. By the time I was two my parents had divorced. My mother had custody of me and my father had visitation rights. When I was three my father was working in England for a man named John Tresdale. Apparently he talked about me so much that Mr. Tresdale decided to contact my mother about sending me to visit for some time (little did I know he had had to pay my mother a substantial amount to get her to agree). _

_While I was visiting there I met a woman who was healing from injuries Tresdale's grandson had inflicted. I didn't understand it at the time, but all I saw was a beautiful woman who smiled and was very friendly. She played games with me and took me shopping. My father took me sight-seeing. He had a wonderful smile. He threw me up in the air and I can remember laughing delightedly as I came back into the safety of his arms. His friend was named Stephanie. She became Aunt Steph to me quickly. It broke my heart when I had to leave and go back to my mother._

_My parents engaged in an ugly custody battle. My mother wanted to take my father for everything he was worth in child support. My father wanted me away from her where I would be safe. It took him two years to win and that victory happened because Aunt Steph's lawyer got involved. The case he had helped build against my mother caused her to sign away her parental rights in every capacity. I was taken back to Aunt Steph's house because Daddy hadn't found a home for us yet. _

_When he first brought me into the house I saw a bear. He was huge and I knew instinctively I had to hide from him. I found Aunt Steph and another man in a study. I was trying to crawl inconspicuously so the bear couldn't see me. The strange man ratted me out to Aunt Steph. I told them I saw a bear and then the bear came into the study. Instead of hiding behind Aunt Steph I ran under the other man's legs. Daddy came into the room trying to find me, but I explained I couldn't because there was a bear in the room and he might eat me. Then they told me he was a friendly bear. Daddy said he was a Care Bear and the man I was hiding under said he was Cheer Bear. _

_Weeks afterward Daddy was killed by a psychopath trying to hurt my Aunt Steph. I found out the brutality of it well after the funeral. All the men had been instructed by Uncle Ranger and Aunt Steph not to say anything about the actual events of the murder in front of me. None of them did. I found out because I was hiding under Uncle Bobby's bed trying to scare out a monster. But I also found out that Daddy left me to Aunt Steph and that made her my new mommy. When she married Uncle Ranger he became my new Daddy. _

_A few days before graduating from high school I decided I wanted to meet my birth mother. Julie went with me. We left a note telling Mom and Dad we were "in the wind" (it was Julie's idea, I swear). I don't know what I expected to find. I knew what I wanted to understand, but after finding out that Lorraine was a crack whore and willing to sell me to men at a young age, I knew I had been put with the right people. When I walked the stage, I saw my family, my true family, cheering and looking so proud of me. _

_But there's been so much anger at not knowing Mac. I don't blame Mom, not one bit. It wasn't her fault that Brett Traymon was killing people. Sometimes I think it's cruel that I got to have him for such a short time. Then I think of the what ifs. What if I had had him? Would I have still had the family I do have? Could I live with not knowing them? Not loving them the way I do? I usually push those thoughts aside, then comes the anger of knowing about Lorraine. What kind of woman admits that she'd sell her child? The sheer audacity of it sickens me. But I buried all the rage and anger I have in regards to Mac and Lorraine and loose it only when I need something to fuel my fight…_

I'm floating. I know I'm still in the hospital. I can hear the beeping of my heart monitor. I can hear everyone talking. I woke up once during the surgery and they had to put me down quickly. Fuck, which means Alan told them what they had to use. I hate being medicated. I'm too sure I'll get addicted the way Lorraine has.

Hm. I wonder what the current pool is at. Next time I think there's a good chance I'm going to end up in the hospital I'll make sure I put something down in advance. I hope they didn't do it in front of Mom. I know the cops in Trenton used to make bets on her. If it hurt her when her supposed "friends" did it to her, I'm pretty sure she won't react well to my guys doing it to me. Well, Billy is a smooth talker so he'll probably talk his way out of trouble in no time flat.

Really, I just want to wake up and get out of the hospital. I know everyone is worried and I need to let them know I'm fine. As long as Ortega is dead and Richard is back with Cami and Trevor isn't more injured than we found him I'm fine.

But first I have to find a way to wake up.

I have no idea how long I've been unconscious. I can hear everyone talking to me. I feel warmth around my left hand. I know Trevor is there holding my hand. I can see him sitting beside me, holding my hand with one hand and on his lap he's got his sketch book and is sketching away. It's how he deals with waiting. He has to keep himself busy but I know he won't leave unless Dad or one of my uncles forcibly removes him.

I want to wake up and hold him. The waiting to find him and know if he's alive or dead was killing me. I know what Ortega was capable of and if I had been thinking just a little more clearly, I probably would have remembered sooner that he would have waited for me to be present so he could kill Trev in front of me. Good thing I got there before that happened.

Fuck. Just wake up already, Donahue! I order. Right…like my body is going to listen. If I could roll my eyes I would. Really I would. So I guess I'm just going to lay here until my traitorous body decides I can wake up. I'm putting it through the ringer when I wake. I swear it.

"Hello, little girl."

I turn wherever I'm at and I see Mac standing in front of me. "Daddy?" My voice is small, childlike and suddenly I feel like I'm five again.

"I guess you're not so little anymore." He gave a sad smile.

"Aren't you dead?" For some reason I can't fathom why he's sitting in my mind.

"Yes."

"Am I dead?"

"Not yet."

"Am I going to be?"

"That's up to you, Munchkin." The nickname Dad calls me makes my heart clench. Dad and all my uncles call me Munchkin.

"I can hear everyone." I say lamely. "I know I'm in a coma."

"Yes you are." Mac smiles again. "You should have woken up already. You've been out for a week."

"Are you here to make me die?"

"No." Mac shakes his head. "I'm here to help you decide what you're going to do."

"I want to wake up and kick my ass." I reply.

Mac laughs. Tears spring forward as I hear a sound that I associate with my childhood. He was so happy when he brought me back to Mom's house after he won custody.

"Come on, little girl." He holds out his hand. "You're holding yourself in a coma for a reason. Let's go find out what's going on with your family."

Hesitantly I take his hand and I find myself standing in the hospital chapel. I see Cami sitting between Julie and CJ praying. Tears are in her eyes as she begs God to give me back to them. I want to laugh when she says she's going to kick my ass. I might just let her.

I clutch Mac's hand as I see Mom and Dad walk in quietly and sit behind them. They both look haggard. They've seen better days. There are circles under Mom's eyes. Dad doesn't look like he's shaved in a week. It makes him look more dangerous than people already believe him to be.

I look back at CJ and notice he hasn't shaved either. With the exception of his eyes, it's almost eerie how much like Dad he looks. Cami and Julie too. They all look like they belong.

A lump forms in my throat. It feels like it's bruising as I try swallowing against it.

Before I can say anything Mac we're in my room. There I am lying comatose, my left leg in a cast and my right wrist wrapped. I can already figure how long I'll be doing physical therapy to recover from the fight.

"Talk to me, little girl." Mac says as he looks at Trevor. "Do I need to kill him?"

"No." I shake my head.

"I should do it anyway."

"Daddy!" I say with indignation. "You can't kill him! He's mine."

Mac smiles. "I know. I've watched you for years hoping you'll find someone to love you."

"You've been watching me?"

"Always."

I feel warm inside. There's something comforting knowing that while the few memories I have of him are slowly fading from mind, he's still with me. Then it hits me. If he's always watching me… "Um, when you saw always watching me…"

Mac gives me a blank look. "Dead or alive, there are certain things a father never needs to see. Rest assured, the moment you decided to have sex, I was looking at something else."

That's a relief. The idea of him seeing that makes me feel like a teenager getting caught on my first date. Mac starts laughing. Clearly he can tell what I'm thinking. "I happen to think what happened on your first date was brilliant. I'm just sorry I couldn't help."

"Brilliant?" I glare at him. "Dad and my uncles kidnapped my date and put him in a holding cell at RangeMan! Then they went in there all locked and loaded like they were going to war! Mom had to make them let him go home!"

Mac just grins. "Your precious, little girl. They were protecting you. It's very fitting."

I roll my eyes at him. Of course _he _thinks it's fitting. He's not the one who had to convince her future dates that her father wasn't going to kill him.

I look at Trevor. He's sketching away furiously. Curious, I go look over his shoulder. Whenever we were on vacations from the Rangers, I'd sneak up and look over his shoulder the way I am now to see what he was drawing. What I see in front of me makes me swell with love and hurt.

He's drawing me. In one of our more private moments, we were in bed. I recognize the background. It's of his house. What Daddy probably doesn't know (or he probably does if he decided to look Trevor up) is that Trev's family is old money. Trev didn't have to join the Army, didn't have to do anything but be a playboy if he wanted. But he wanted to serve his country. So he enlisted.

In the drawing, I'm curled up on the bed, a sheet pooled at my waist. I'm curled up against a pillow, sleeping like a baby. I love how he draws me. I feel so exposed to him. I probably am. He sees me better than anyone. Trevor's called me on shit I've done in the past when we're in private. It's made it tough being together while we both served, especially when I outranked him on missions. We made it work.

I study the drawing some more. My face looks…peaceful. We had just spent the night making love, giving into our need for each other and releasing some of the tension that had built up from the mission. Trev once told me I only look peaceful after we've been together and when he sees me at home with my family.

Mac clears his throat and I turn my attention back to him. Whatever plain of existence I'm on right now still leaves some feeling in my face because I feel myself blushing. Mac gives me a pointed look that says not to tell him. Grinning sheepishly I make my way back over to him and turn to look at my lover again.

Trev looks as bad as my parents do, if not worse. I know he's not going to move until I wake.

"You love him, little girl?" Mac asks.

"More than anything." I reply.

"You two have a long life ahead of you."

"How do you know that?"

"I just do."

"I thought you were here to help me make a decision."

"It's a statement to the decision of you waking." Mac replies. "If you decide not to, you'll spend forever in a coma… and Trevor will never leave your side."

"You really know how to lay the guilt on, don't you?"

"I'm a parent."

I roll my eyes. Really, that's all I've got for a response. Silently we watch as Julie comes in and tells Trevor to get some rest. He'll refuse, but Julie is a Manoso through and through. Which means she'll win. And she does. I hear his voice in my head, "_Come back to me, love."_

I want to reassure him, but I can't.

She sits silent for a while, just watching me. When she starts talking I'm surprised by the subject matter. Lorraine. Great. That means the boys have been telling things again. I feel guilty as I hear her get frustrated and angry with me over the decision to join the Rangers. I'm surprised when I hear she wanted me to join RangeMan because of my abilities to dig up information.

I see Dad walk in and just watch her. He picks her up and comforts her in the only way a Dad can. He tells her to let me heal before she tries kicking my ass. I guess I'm in a world of hurt when I wake if Cami and Julie are threatening ass kickings. I can't even imagine what my boys will do when I'm cleared for physical therapy.

Cami barges in and looks my physical body telling me that Billy won't be around when I wake if she finds him. Guess she found out about the Baby Manoso title. Heheh, I don't pity Billy one bit whenever she does get a hold of him.

"Little girl, talk to me." Mac says interrupting the observation. "Why aren't you waking up?"

"My body seems to have an opinion about it." I reply.

"Bullshit."

I look at him incredulously. "Seriously!"

"You've been in worse scrapes and haven't been in a coma like this. Tell the truth." He demands in that father voice that is firm and brooks no excuses. Dad used it on me a few times over the years. I didn't like it from him and I don't like it from Mac.

"Everything that happened…they'd be better if I wasn't there." I finally whisper.

"Why?"

"Why? Look at what happened? Cami was kidnapped, nearly raped by one of my ex-men, CJ was jumped and probably would have been taken too if JJ hadn't stepped in. Trevor…God, what Trevor must have gone through while Chris had him…" I trail off, aware that tears are in my eyes.

"Guilt is a pretty powerful thing, little girl." Mac says. "But I believe Julie and Ranger both told you this wasn't your fault. You did a job that was assigned to you. The revenge Chris decided to take later was not your fault. It was a desperate attempt by a man who underestimated you."

"But they…"

"They love you and are worried sick about you. Elise, I couldn't have asked for a better family for you to have. You have no idea how much it has filled my heart with love and pride watching you with them over the years. Ortega got too close for your comfort. He got personal, and that's not something you've had to deal with before. But now you have to. You'll heal from all this. You did good, Elise, real good. I am so proud of the woman you became."

My hand burns suddenly. I look down. In my hand are my dog tags.

I look back at Mac. "I miss you."

"I miss you too." He smiles. "But being angry at the world for me not being around won't change anything. Talk to your mother about me. She can tell you stories so you still have me around. In fact, ask her about the time she cooked in England."

My eyes widen in horror. "Mom isn't allowed to cook! We all learned to cook to keep her out of the kitchen!"

Mac laughs heartily and pulls me to him. "Trust me, that time she did. Brownies. See what she tells you."

"Kay." I stay in his embrace, savoring the feeling, knowing I'm not going to feel it again for a long time.

"It's time." He says after several minutes.

Tears fill my eyes as I look up at him. "I don't want it to be."

"I know," Mac looks at me and wipes away the tears that slipped down my cheeks. "You ready to go home to your family?"

Slowly, I nod. "I love you, Daddy."

"Love you too, little girl." He pulls me close to him one more time. "Do me a favor, ask your father to kick Trevor's ass for me."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a dad and I want the little bastard's ass kicked." Mac said. "Now go on, get home. I'll see you someday, but not soon."

Mac fades and I sniffle, the hurt of seeing him leave me again tightening my heart. The tags in my hand continue to burn. I hold them up to my lips, kiss them softly and hurry to get home.


	31. Reunions

**AN: Okay, I'm sorry for the long period between update. I wasn't sure how I wanted to do this chapter, and even now, I'm not entirely sure it's all that good. I originally thought this story was going to end after the next chapter, but I'm thinking there might be several more due to some unresolved issues going on for some of the kiddos, and even Ranger and Steph. So, I hope you guys like this chapter. For those of you have been so thoughtful to review, thanks a million :-) I'm super glad y'all are still with me on this! Enjoy the chapter, and please review!**

* * *

_Reunions_

The heart monitor beeped annoyingly in her ears. She could feel the metal in her left hand—could feel the warmth of the strong hand that covered hers. He was there. Waiting. Through the fog she fought her way back so she could see his eyes, see him.

Finally, she was back. Her eyes fluttered opened. The first thing she saw was a set of beautiful grey eyes that reflected the love she felt for him.

"Hi." Elise croaked out.

"Hi yourself." Trevor smiled at her. His eyes filled briefly, but he blinked them back.

"You have the most beautiful eyes." She said, feeling the scratchiness of her throat.

"Yeah?" Trevor chuckled as he reached next to him and grabbed a small cup of water. He held it to her lips and watched as she drank, her eyes never leaving his. "I thought you weren't going to wake up."

Elise smiled and held up the hand that held her dog tags and was currently encased in his still. "I had three of the most important men help me back."

He grinned and kissed her. It was intense as it deepened further, both expressing their love in that moment. When they broke apart, they continued looking at each other. Trevor's hand cupped the back of her head, his fingers threading through her short curls. Her eyes filled with tears and she looked away with a small grin.

"I love you, you know." She said softly, looking back up at him.

"I love you." He whispered kissing her again.

Elise took a look around the room. She wasn't surprised to see the private room, knowing her father and his penchant for privacy. She had a vague feeling of déjà vu as she looked around, but couldn't place why.

But what surprised her was that there was no one here.

"Where is everyone?"

"They're getting some rest. I promised I wouldn't leave your side." Trevor said, perching on the side of the bed.

"Like you would have gone away anyway." Elise teased. She glanced at a nearby clock. It was still early in the morning. There was a good chance people wouldn't show up until later.

"Alan had to promise the nurses he'd watch over me while you were in surgery." Trevor said smiling. "I refused to go back to my room."

"Trev…" Her voice drifted off as she caught the look he was giving her. Any lecture she had been preparing to give him died away. He looked like hell. She wasn't surprised. She'd probably look just as bad if the roles had been reversed.

"Thanks." She whispered.

"I'd do anything for you." He replied placing his forehead against hers. "I'd walk into hell for you."

She bit her lip as she looked down then met his eyes again, kissing him softly. She took her inventory of him, taking stock of his injuries. She was mildly surprised she couldn't see any of them. "How are you?"

"I was mostly starved and dehydrated." Trevor said. "Ortega wanted to wait until he got ahold of you before doing anything, although that didn't stop him from dealing the occasional blow."

"Good thing he's dead." Elise muttered. She blinked trying to remember the fight. She pulled away and looked at Trevor. "Wait, he _is _dead, right?"

"Yes, by the father/daughter duo as Billy has taken to calling you and Ranger." Trevor said grinning as she groaned.

"I'm going to kill him if Cami doesn't first." Elise said then remembered Mac. Her eyes filled with tears and she was unable to stop them as they slipped down her cheeks.

"Elise, what is it?" Trevor looked at her concerned.

"My dad…Mac. I saw him while I was in a coma." She said.

Trevor shifted around the bed so he could wrap his arms around her. Elise leaned back into him and rested her head in the crook of his neck. He continued to hold her good hand, which kept her dog tags safely tucked in her grip. She told him about Mac talking to her, and helping her come home.

After a bit, they sat in a comfortable silence. A nurse came in and when she saw Elise awake she quickly hurried to get the doctor. The doctor visited and they sat discussing Elise's recovery. She had already guessed on a good recoup time. She was told at least a month and a half before the cast on her leg would come off. She would need physical therapy for both her leg and her wrist. He had pain meds waiting for her if she felt she would need them.

Elise simply looked at the pills with disdain.

"You should take them." Trevor told her.

"No."

"Elise."

"Trev."

"Baby, come on," He murmured in her ear.

Before she could turn to argue, Cami came bouncing into the room, saying, "Alright, Trevor, we've decided you have to sleep. We're making you—Omigod!" She stopped walking and her jaw dropped as she saw Elise sitting up staring at her. "Omigod! Mom, Dad! Mom, Dad! She's awake!" Cami rushed out of the room, "Mom, Dad! She's awake!"

She came racing back into the room and right up to Elise. "Oh, god! I didn't think you'd wake up!" She hugged her sister tightly, which turned into hugging Trevor since he wasn't letting go of her.

"Hi, Cami." Elise said as she was squeezed tighter. "Ok…still need to breathe!"

"Oops." Cami released her and gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry."

"Elise." Stephanie was at her daughter's side the moment she walked into the room. "Oh, sweetie."

"Hi, Mom." Trevor moved so the family could hug her. Stephanie and Ranger both took their time, studying their daughter intently.

Elise gave her father a grin. "I hear we make a good duo."

"You did good, Munchkin." Ranger said hugging her tightly. "I'm very proud of you." He looked at everyone. "I need a moment with Elise."

Everyone looked like they wanted to argue, but Stephanie knew her husband wanted to talk to their daughter about something that happened on the mission. He hadn't told her about it, and she didn't know if he could, but she simply nodded and ushered everyone out of the room and shut the door behind her.

Ranger sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the pain pills the doctor had left on the table next to her. He held them out to her. "You need to take these, Munchkin."

"No." She gave him a stubborn, defiant look.

"Give your body some ease." He told her.

"According to the doctor, I've been out for a week and a half. My body has had time to be at ease." Elise retorted.

"Elise."

"Dad."

"Elise!"

"_Dad._"

"Munchkin." Ranger put the pills down carefully and looked at her. "You. Are. Not. Lorraine. I heard what you said on the plane when Alan and Bobby had to set your leg. How often are you not taking medicines the doctors give you for the pain?"

She looked down. "You're one to talk, Dad."

"Do as I say, not as I do." Ranger replied with a grin. Then he got serious again. "Elise, I've been told about some of your injuries. You know I've got contacts in the Rangers still. Munchkin, it kills me to know that you were letting yourself suffer through the pain."

"I wouldn't say I was suffering through it. I just found…home remedies to deal with them so I wouldn't have to take medicine and take a chance." Elise replied. She kept her gaze down, to avoid letting him see the tears that she was sure he knew were there. "I just…can't."

Ranger studied her for several long moments, then nodded. At the moment he knew he wouldn't get through to her, but that didn't mean he wouldn't find a way to help her. He was damned if he was going to let her go through life being afraid of taking any kind of pill because of her birth mother.

"Perhaps you can help with your sister." Ranger said finally. "Cami isn't…reacting well to some things."

"I'm not surprised." Elise ran a hand through her curls. "Ortega excelled at psychological terror. The only reason he resorted to physical was because I pushed him over the edge."

"Cami doesn't want to eat, nor will she respond to her full name." Ranger told her.

Elise smiled softly at her dad. "We both know she's probably dealing with a small dose of PTSD. She should see someone."

He nodded. "Your mother and I have talked about it. We're going to get someone when we go back to Trenton."

"That's good." Elise was trying to figure out where he was going with this. She knew she wasn't around as much as she was going to be, but she was pretty sure when Ranger made a decision, there wasn't too much of a discussion about it.

Ranger leaned over and hugged her. "Munchkin, Mac would be just as proud of you as I am."

"Yeah," Elise let out a large yawn. "He wants you to kick Trev's ass for him because he can't." When he gave her a surprised look, she smiled and held up her dog tags. "He helped me come home."

"I can't wait to tell your mother that I have permission to kick Trevor's ass." Ranger looked entirely too pleased at the prospect.

"You can't kill him." Elise said.

"Who said anything about killing?"

"Dad."

"Elise."

She sighed. "Daddy, you can't do anything to him."

"Munchkin—"

"He's mine, Daddy." Elise said in a small voice. She looked down at her lap, "And I don't want him hurt more than he has to be." She looked back up at Ranger who took a deep breath.

"Do you mean to tell me, I only get to hit Richard?" If it was possible, he looked positively crestfallen at the knowledge that he was _not _going to get to kick any of the boys' asses.

"Yeah." Elise smiled. "I hope you made it count."

Ranger chuckled and ruffled her hair. "I'd better let everyone in before they break the door down."

When Ranger opened the door, he found not only their family waiting, but Elise's men, and his own men waiting. They didn't even let him finish opening the door before barging in around him and hurrying around Elise.

"Hi, Munchkin," Tank grinned at her. "Good to see those beautiful brown eyes of yours."

Elise chuckled. "Hi, Cheer Bear."

"Captain, your mom is the best!" Billy said with a grin. "You should see the size of the box she delivered to us of Tastykakes."

"Don't worry," Kyle said to her, "We made sure to hide a few for you."

Elise shook her head amused. "Thanks guys." She couldn't help but grin as Trevor sat behind her again, sliding his arms protectively around her. The men all looked back and forth between Trevor and Ranger. Ranger was shooting daggers at Trevor, but Trevor was looking at Elise, clearly not caring what the other man thought.

"Elise, I'm so glad you're awake!" Cami sat down on the other side of the bed. "I need your help."

"Does this have anything to do with Billy and the Baby Manoso thing?" Elise asked.

"Yes. But I'll tell you more when he's not here." Her sister said with a wink.

"Hey!" Billy looked at them nervously. "You're the baby! It was fitting!"

"Keep digging, dude." Darren clapped him on the back. "Your hole is getting deeper and wider by the word."

"Hey, little brother, how are the ribs?" Elise asked when CJ bent down to hug her.

"Better. Dad and the Uncles are letting me spar more."

"Good."

"Yeah, I was thinking I could take you on for a bit." CJ grinned at her as he moved to lean against the wall.

"What is with all my siblings wanting to kick my ass?" Elise demanded.

"How do you know if we want to kick your ass?" Julie asked.

"I saw and heard you." She replied. She pointed at Cami, "You seem to think that because you're taller you can take me. And you," She turned her attention to Julie, "it seems that we have an unfinished conversation from nine years ago to finish."

"Did you hear…everything?" Billy asked nervously.

"Yes." Elise answered. She narrowed her eyes at him. "I heard you guys talking about taking a trip to Vegas. You do remember none of us are allowed in Nevada?"

"Why aren't you allowed in Nevada?" Stephanie asked looking over at her husband. This was taking on a sense of déjà vu.

"It was just a weapons misunderstanding," Billy said evasively.

"That involved some alcohol." Elise growled, "And _all _of us getting arrested!"

"How many times am I going to have to say sorry for that?" Billy asked.

"Until we're not banned from Nevada." Victor piped in.

"When will that be?" All the men looked at Elise. She shrugged.

"Dad's lawyer was working on it."

Stephanie burst out laughing. "Oh, you didn't! What did he say when you told him?"

Elise sighed. "He couldn't stop laughing for twenty minutes, then said 'Like father, like daughter.' And he said he'd take care of it. Last I checked he was still working on it."

"Aw, so Trevor can't whisk you off Vegas to marry you in a quick romantic getaway?" Cami asked innocently.

"What?" Ranger barked along with all their Uncles.

"I—uh—I didn't propose." Trevor said. Elise was blinking at the sudden turn in conversation.

"You got a problem against marrying my girl?" Ranger demanded folding his arms over his chest. Lester, Tank and Bobby came up behind him, all their arms folded over their chests as well.

"Uh..no?"

"Then why haven't you?"

"There's no winning, is there?" Trevor muttered to Elise. She smiled and shook her head and kissed him.

Facing everyone again, her attention kept coming back to her mother. There was something she was supposed to be asking…"Brownies!"

Everyone stopped talking and looked at her. Stephanie sent her a quizzical look. "Did you want some brownies, sweetheart?"

"No…you and brownies." She rubbed her forehead with her good hand. "You made brownies."

"Elise, are you insane?" CJ demanded giving her a horrified look. "You know we don't let her into the kitchen!"

She shook her head, "No, England. You made brownies in England."

Stephanie stared at her in shock. "How did you know that? None of the boys have talked about that."

"Mac told me. He told me to ask you about the brownies."

Stephanie let out a small laugh at the memory and soon she was holding her sides in all out laughter. "Oh, my. I haven't thought of that in years!" As she calmed down she wiped the tears from her eyes, and took Elise's good hand. "When I was living in England, the guys were training me. I was in a very angry place at the time. They kept training me every day, but eventually they needed a break and I wouldn't give them one. So, one morning they conspired against me and the next thing I knew I found myself tied to a chair with all of them high tailing it out of there to get a break. Well, their training paid off because I didn't spend very much time tied to the chair. John's cook was baking that day. I asked her if I could make some brownies with her. She didn't know my cooking history, and thankfully, luck was on my side with those brownies. I just added on ingredient into it and let her and John know that the only ones who were getting the brownies were the boys."

"What did you put in them?" Elise asked.

Stephanie smiled. "Let's just say they spent several hours in the bathroom afterward."

"Dude…that's…insane." Billy whispered. "I don't know who I admire more now…" He looked between Ranger and Steph.

Everyone burst out laughing.


	32. Epilogue

**AN: This is very much overdue, but I was never going to abandon this story. I love all the characters I created, as well as the ones I borrowed to play with :-) Thank you everyone who has reviewed, or pushed me to finish this. Y'all's support means the world to me! Thanks so much for following along on the Manoso Kids' adventure**

**Disclaimer: Those you recognize from JE's world are borrowed. Those you don't are mine. I make no profit and only have fun!**

_One year later..._

Stephanie smiled as she looked out the window. Down on the beach, Elise was showing Cami how to throw someone away from her. For the last eight and a half months Elise worked hard with her sister. Shortly after Elise's release from the hospital, Cami announced she wanted to learn more self-defense. She admitted that while she knew she would never be able to take on several attacker at once she wanted to make sure she gave more than she got. And because Billy had named her Baby Manoso, he became the usual sparring partner for her.

"Deep thoughts, Babe?" Ranger's arms slid around her stomach pulling her back to his chest. They had come back to Miami for the Fourth of July, and to help Julie move her things to Trenton so she could be closer to Alan. Ranger had given Alan a job as on site medic after he helped Elise. The rest of Elise's men had joined the ranks of RangeMan as their time in the Rangers ended. Trevor was the only one left.

"Hm, just a few. Have you heard anything?"

"Nothing yet."

Stephanie sighed and rested her head on her husband's shoulder. A month after Elise was released from the hospital Trevor had been called out to a mission. Before he left he added his dog tags to Elise's chain, whispering in her ear, "When I come home, I'm making you my wife."

Ranger knew Trevor planned on marrying his daughter. He had come Ranger and asked his permission to marry Elise. Ranger, feeling very clever with himself, agreed to let Trevor marry Elise after they spent a couple hours on the mats of RangeMan. Ranger gladly gave his permission feeling happy that he had finally gotten to kick one of the asses of the men who claimed the hearts of his daughters.

Once Trevor left for his mission, Ranger did what he could to stay updated on his status. He knew Elise wasn't going to ask because she knew how dangerous things were. Instead she focused her energy on helping Cami with her self-defense and going to therapy.

Cami and Elise both found that despite how smart they were, they couldn't compete with the cleverness of their father. While in the hospital Elise had tried talking to Cami into seeing a therapist. Cami resisted initially, pointing out that Elise had been through some terrible things and never saw someone for it. After a few days of arguing, Elise finally told her sister if she would see a therapist, then she would also go see one. Promptly after Cami left, Elise realized Ranger had managed to maneuver things to go the way he wanted. He wanted Elise to see someone to deal with the issues of Lorraine, and ultimately, she needed to talk to someone about Ortega. Knowing Elise would want to try helping her sister, Ranger knew it was only a matter of time before Elise would compromise with Cami to make her go to therapy.

Stephanie and Ranger watched their daughters on the beach, both happy they were making great strides in their recovery. Cami was doing much better at having her full name used. Things were even stronger with Richard than before, though Ranger refused to let her spend the night in his apartment. Richard moved to Trenton when they went back. Stephanie helped him find an apartment, which was conveniently monitored by RangeMan. Richard was simply happy to be with Cami and agreed to the monitoring. While Cami was not allowed to spend the night at his apartment, they had let Richard spend the night when Cami was having nightmares of her time with Ortega, with the door wide open. He had stayed with them at the beach house while Elise was in the hospital, where CJ had kept a sharp eye on the couple whenever Ranger and Stephanie weren't at the house.

CJ found Richard to be a good sparring partner. Having been punished by his brother for years, Richard knew how to practice carefully, avoiding the injuries. He helped CJ get back to a hundred percent. They had developed a good friendship and whenever JJ came to town the three of them got together for a beer.

They were both currently arguing over the best way to grill meat as Julie and Alan filled the coolers with ice and drinks.

"Carlos, if Trevor doesn't come back..." Stephanie's voice trailed off.

"Our girl is strong." He murmured into her hair, squeezing her tightly. "All our girls." He smiled looking at Julie. As soon as both her sisters were safe and sound, Julie had barely let them out of her sight. She had come with Alan to Trenton to help take care of them. She found herself feeling quite at home in Trenton. Rachel was saddened when Julie told her she was moving, but understood after everything that happened.

Billy groaned as he hit the sand again. "Why, Captain? It was all in fun!"

"If you stop calling me Baby Manoso I won't ask Elise to make you my sparring buddy." Cami said cheekily.

"I'll never surrender!" He shouted from his prone position on the sand.

Elise laughed and shook her head. "Get used to a lifetime of ass kicking."

Cami grinned at her sister. Elise laughed much more than she used to. Talking to someone seemed to help her drastically. A few days ago, Ranger and Cami had found Elise taking aspirin for a headache. They knew she would take pain meds as a last resort, which was usually rare, but it was nice seeing her actually use the meds.

"Why can't you use Richard?" Billy moaned.

"Because Dad won't let me play nurse and make him feel better." Cami said looking a little sullen at the thought. Elise burst out laughing. She knew full well that Cami and Richard's sex life was going strong. She knew they were creative until Cami was living on her own, which would be in the fall when she started at Princeton.

"Dad's lawyer thinks he may have found a loophole in the will." Cami said to Elise. Richard had been meeting with the lawyer as often as he could. He wanted none of Christopher's money and was determined to get all of it donated. Richard found several shelters and charities in which he would divide the money amongst them. When he first sat down with the lawyer and discovered how much money his brother had set aside for him, he had to pick his jaw up off the floor. Had Richard had any love for his brother he would have been deeply touched by how well Christopher wanted to take care of him. The fact was the money was Christopher's way of telling him even in death he owned him.

"That's good. It's obvious he wants to cut all ties away from him." Elise replied looking down the beach. Even now, she knew Cami wouldn't go running alone. Someone was always with her. If they were home in Trenton, she usually stayed in the home gym, but it was too nice at their house in Florida for her to do that.

Elise's eyes narrowed as she looked down the way at a figure walking toward them. There was something familiar about the gait of his stride...she let out a cry and went racing down the beach.

"What's going on? I can't move. Do we need to defend the Fortress of Manoso?" Billy asked from his still prone position. "Just give me a gun. I can kill from here."

"You're such a baby." Cami said rolling her eyes. She looked back at her sister who suddenly jumped on the man walking toward them, hugging him for all she was worth. "Oh! Trevor is back!"

Billy was on his feet. "Thank God."

"I'm not going to beat him up instead of you." She informed him.

He laughed and tugged a lock of hair in brotherly way, "Bring it on, little girl. No, Captain is going to heal even more now that Trevor is back."

"You think?" Cami cocked her head to the side watching her sister. She nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

Elise's legs were firmly wrapped around Trevor's waist. "Hi."

He smiled and kissed her again. "Hi."

"Missed you."

"Missed you too."

"Are you mine now?"

"Completely."

Elise's smile was blinding. Trevor told her before he left that Diggory informed him this mission would be his last. He hoped Ranger would be willing to give him a job if any positions in RangeMan were still available.

"You look good." He said setting her down. She took his hand, resting her head on his shoulder.

"There's been a lot going on, but I am doing better." She replied.

Cami raced up and gave Trevor a welcome home hug before running inside to tell her parents the great news. Julie and Alan walked up to greet them. Alan wasted no time demanding to know what injuries Trevor had.

Later on in the evening, Stephanie sat on a beach chair, leaning back against Ranger. She watched her children. CJ had yet to find a woman, but she had a feeling when it happened, it would hit him as hard as it had Ranger. He was much like his father.

"Happy, Babe?" Her husband murmured in her ear.

"Unbelievably happy." She smiled up at him. She was about to say something else when CJ's next words caught her attention.

"So what are we going to do while we're in Miami? It's not like we can top last summer. Besides, who is going to mess with us now?"

"CJ!" His sisters yelled. Alan, Richard and Trevor grabbed their women as they tried to launch themselves at their brother.

Trevor had his arms wrapped securely around Elise. Looking at CJ he said, "Dude, you might want to run."

"You can run, but you have to sleep some time." Cami said with a mischievous grin on her face.

CJ paled.


End file.
